


4 AM

by JSinister32



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Hannibal Helps Will, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Hannibal Wants Will Graham, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, PWP, Sexting, Sexual Tension, Text Fiction, Text Porn, Toys, Will Graham is Bisexual, confession of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:00:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26042344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JSinister32/pseuds/JSinister32
Summary: Will's nightmares have been plaguing him and he can't seem to fall back to sleep.  When he reaches out to his closest friend, will he find the relief he needs, or something more than he bargained for?
Relationships: Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 58
Kudos: 289





	1. Late Night Decisions

**Author's Note:**

> Almost the entire fic is written as text messages. You've already been warned.
> 
> Hearts and body parts,  
> JM

_Late night decisions are the worst;  
They are usually taken straight from the heart._

* * *

[12:41AM] **Hannibal? WG**

[12:45AM] _Good evening, Will. Or would that be morning? -HL_

[12:46AM] **I think either is applicable. WG**

[12:47AM] _Good morning it is, then. To what do I owe the pleasure of your digital company so early in the morning? -HL_

[12:48AM] **Can’t sleep. Well… technically I was asleep, but I woke about 30 minutes ago. I can’t fall back to sleep. What are you doing up? WG**

[12:51AM] _Much like you, I cannot seem to find sleep tonight. -HL_

[12:52AM] **Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. What were you doing to help you sleep? WG**

[12:54AM] _I was composing a new piece. I am currently stuck on a section of the melody, though. Most likely because of the late hour. What were you doing before you reached out? -HL_

[12:56AM] **Nothing worth mentioning if I am honest. Do you usually compose this late into the night? Or early, as it were. WG**

[12:59AM] _Not usually, no. I thought it may help, but instead it’s only served to frustrate me more than I was before I began. Such is the peril of doing anything beyond 2AM. -HL_

[01:00AM] **Is that a rule for you then? WG**

[01:01AM] _Is what a rule, Will? -HL_

[01:03AM] **Do nothing of importance after 2AM. WG**

[01:05AM] _I find that it’s a good rule to live by for the most part, yes. It seems we are at our most foolish in the early hours of the morning. The mistakes we make when we are young may have a great deal to do with the adage, though. We tend to commit our biggest acts of idiocy when we are inebriated, and the cut off for drinking in public is, of course, 2AM in the states. -HL_

[01:07AM] **It's not quite 2AM, so I think we are safe. By the way, how is it that you manage to teach me something new even in the small hours of the morning? WG**

[01:08AM] _I could teach you plenty at any time of the day if you wished it, Will. For instance, what I would teach you now is to be honest with both your early morning companion and yourself as to the nature of our digital conversation. -HL_

[01:12AM] **I like the sound of that. Teach me that one. WG**

[01:14AM] _You are becoming tedious. Did you need something from me, or were you hoping to rouse me from my slumber to trade witty banter in hopes that you could best me if I was half asleep? -HL_

[01:16AM] A **re you saying I couldn’t best you under normal circumstances? WG**

[01:18AM] _You are hardly besting me now. Would you like to talk about the dream you had? -HL_

[01:20AM] **No. I don’t really want to talk about anything. I just needed to reach out to something… real. I’m alone in the house and it’s eerily quiet. I woke up covered in sweat and you were the first person I thought of. I’m sorry for bothering you. I hope you can get some decent sleep. WG**

[01:21AM] _There is no need to apologize to me, Will. I understand your dogs are still with Alana? Her new stray is taking time to adjust from what I hear. It was kind of you to loan out your pack to help the new addition to her family settle in. I am sorry you are having another bout of nightmares. No sleepwalking I trust? -HL_

[01:21AM] **Yes, Alana still has the dogs. I’m not used to the quiet. Usually I can hear them breathing and moving in the hall and it calms me. Knowing I’m not alone, you know? I suppose you don’t. You prefer your solitude, don’t you? No sleepwalking this time, or I’d be calling you for a ride if the state troopers weren’t hauling me back to the house. WG**

[01:23AM] _I do not mind company, but in the last few years I have found myself without it in the early morning hours. I am happy you didn’t sleepwalk this time. Would you like me to help you fall back to sleep? -HL_

[01:24AM] **How do you propose to do that, Doctor? WG**

[01:25AM] _There are many different methods I could use, but first let me ask you a question. When you wake from your nightmares, what do you usually do to ensure you are able to fall back to sleep? -HL_

[01:26AM] **I am not telling you that, Hannibal. WG**

[01:27AM] _Ahhh, so I earned my given name at last. May I wager a guess then? -HL_

[01:28AM] **Must you? WG**

[01:29AM] _You understand that my principle field of medicine these days is psychiatry, correct? If you truly did not want to discuss this particular topic, you would have simply stopped responding. Since you have not done so, I will wager that it is because you want me to broach the subject because you do not wish to seem weak or perverted. You are neither, not that you need my reassurance. Do you normally masturbate to fall back to sleep? -HL_

[01:31AM] **Yes. WG**

[01:33AM] _I see. And tonight you reached out to me instead of using your usual methods. Do I take it that you are hoping to glean some inspiration to help you accomplish the task? -HL_

[01:34AM] **For God’s sake, no. I couldn’t ask you to do that, nor would I. That’s crossing some sort of boundary, isn’t it? WG**

[01:35AM] _It is not unheard of for someone in my field. However, I would help you in this regard because I am your friend and would do what I can to help you when you are in need. I will ask you again, and I want you to think carefully before you answer the question. I can help you fall back to sleep if you’d like. You will be relaxed and more sated than if you dug through the saved collection of meaningless porn clips you have saved in your phone. Do you want my help, Will? -HL_

[01:36AM] **I’m not going to ask how you know about my phone. I am not sure I want the answer.**

[01:36AM] **How exactly would you help me? WG**

[01:37AM] _You’re being tedious again. This is a Pandora’s Box moment, but wholly without the dire consequences of letting out anything dreadful that could wreak havoc on humanity. You will simply be guided through a set of instructions that I want you to follow to the letter. You do not have anything to lose except some of the fear you’re currently exhibiting. Let go for once and let me help you. -HL_

[01:38AM] **I don’t know if I can do that. It has been more years than I can count since I've been with a man. WG**

[01:39AM] _Nothing would change tomorrow. It is, of course, up to you. This is your last chance. You can suffer for your lack of sleep because you are attempting to attach sexual preference where none need be attached, or you can let me help you. I am your friend Will, but my patience is not endless. What is it going to be? -HL_

[01:43AM] _No response is childish. -HL_

[01:48AM] _Goodnight, Will. -HL_

[01:51AM] **Wait, Hannibal. I was just… thinking. WG**

[01:51AM] _Thinking about what, may I ask? -HL_

[01: 53AM] **What it will mean if I let you do this. WG**

[01: 54AM] _It won’t mean anything you don’t choose it to mean. It can just be what it is. A release to help you sleep, aided by someone you trust. You do trust me, don’t you? -HL_

[01: 55AM] **Of course I trust you. WG**

[01: 55AM] _Then why the hesitation? -HL_

[01: 56AM] **I don’t want things to be weird between us. I would miss what we have too much to risk it. WG**

[01: 57AM] _You are safe with me, Will. Safe to explore, safe to let go. -HL_

[01: 59AM] ... **Okay. WG**

[02:00AM] _Okay what? -HL_

[02:01AM] **Okay I trust you. WG**

[02:02AM] _I’m afraid you’ll have to say more than that. You’ve already shown reluctance and I must know I’m not pushing you. So I’ll ask you again. Okay what? -HL_

[02: 03AM] **Okay, I accept your help. Please, Hannibal. I need you. WG**

[02:03AM] _I like it very much that you need me. Now, do you promise to do everything I say and read every word I send you, even if you feel that it may make you uncomfortable? I’m asking you to trust that I can do this for you, but I will not waste the effort if you are not putting in the work. Do we have an understanding? -HL_

[02:05AM] **Yes, Doctor. WG**

[02:06AM] _Excellent. Please be as vocal as you feel you need to be while concentrating what I am having you do. I will request that you mostly read what I send you, but when I ask you a direct question, I need a response. You may also use the phrases ‘more’, ‘please’, and anything else that will convey how you are feeling._

[02:06AM] _There is one other thing that I feel I must warn you of now, before we get started. I will be using myself in this fantasy as your lover, because it is easy for me to describe to you what I would be doing if I were there. Do you have any objections to this scenario? -HL_

[02:07AM] **I trust you, even though this would not be my normal choice. I have no objections. I will do as you ask. Can we please get on with it? WG**

[02:08AM] _Ahh, I’m afraid impatience will get you nowhere tonight, but have no fear. We are about to get started. Please adjust the temperature in your home to where you can be comfortable naked. Then kindly strip and climb into bed, but do not cover yourself. I want you to experience what I offer without the shame that so often happens when we disrobe. Please let me know when you are in bed. -HL_

[02:12AM] **I turned up the heat. I’m currently laying on the blankets in my bed. WG**

[02:13AM] _Perfect. It would be pleasing to have you like this, you know. Awaiting the pleasure I wish to offer you. I will guide your hands by walking you through what I would do to you. I’d like you to use your hands in place of mine, as well as in place of my mouth and my cock. Can you do that? -HL_

[02:13AM] **Your… never mind. Yes. I can do that. Please continue. WG**

[02:14AM] _Good. I would start with a kiss. A gentle brush of lips to settle you, familiar pleasure. Can you feel my lips on yours, Will? Warm, wet when I slide my tongue along the seam of your mouth to beg entrance? Can you feel my tongue against yours? -HL_

[02:15AM] **Yes, god I can feel your lips on mine. My lips are tingling with the sensation. WG**

[02:16AM] _Good. I would then run my hands through your wonderfully soft curls so that I could direct your head and expose your neck. I often think about tasting the skin there, and if I was given access, I would help myself. Glide your fingertips along the side of your neck for me, Will. Slowly and gently, just the barest brush of skin. Imagine its my lips gently dragging along your flesh. Did you shave this evening, or do you have stubble? -HL_

[02:17AM] **Stubble. God, please… more. WG**

[02:19AM] _Don’t worry, darling. We are just getting started. Stubble pleases me immensely. I like the different textures of your skin against my lips. Now, as you move your fingertips, imagine my tongue tracing a trail down your skin. I want to taste you, catalog the contours of your body. Trace your fingers for me where you would like my mouth. And don’t be quiet. Moan for me. -HL_

[02:20AM] **H-Hannibal… WG**

[02:22AM] _That’s it, show me how good it feels. Now, while I am helping myself to your neck, and now that I know you’d keep still so I could taste you, I want to feel you. Trace a line with your fingertips for me. Down your sternum, swirling over your heart. Pause there a moment and feel how your heartbeat. Is it racing for me? -HL_

[02:23AM] **God yes. It’s beating so fast. Making my breath come faster. WG**

[02:25AM] _Good, perfect. Trace those fingers along your nipple for me. Tell me how you like to be touched here. Would you like just my fingers tracing around? Do you like them gently pinched? Or would you prefer my mouth tasting your skin? -HL_

[02:26AM] **Taste me. Please. WG**

[02:28AM] _Very good, darling. Thank you for telling me. Trace your flesh here for me, and pinch gently. Imagine that instead of your fingers, you are feeling the edge of my teeth, gently bringing your right nipple to a peak. Wet your fingertip for me, and trace that circle so you can feel the cool air against your skin. Tell me how it feels. -HL_

[02:30AM] **It’s… god it’s so good. WG**

[02:33AM] _Moan it out for me, Will. Let me hear how good it feels. Trace your fingertips along your sternum to your left nipple for me now. Wet your fingertip so you can properly feel how my mouth would feel on your skin. Does it feel good? -HL_

[02:33AM] **God yes. More. Please. WG**

[02:35AM] _I cannot resist you when you beg like that. Are your legs together, or have you spread them for me? If they are closed, don’t be shy. I need somewhere to settle so I can continue my explorations. Spread your thighs for me, darling. Give to me. -HL_

[02:37AM] **Yes… God, please. WG**

[02:38AM] _Would you like me to kiss down your stomach or start with your upper thighs? There is no wrong answer. I want all of you, and I will have my fill of you before the light reaches the sky. -HL_

[02:40AM] **Stomach. Familiar touch. Please. WG**

[02:40AM] _Anything you want, it is yours. I want to taste your skin, feel the contours of your body. I’ve waited so long for you to let me do this. I want you to read my next words, then set your phone down and follow my instructions. Are we clear? -HL_

[02:41AM] **Yes, Doctor. WG**

[02:43AM] _Good. You’re doing so well for me. Slowly draw your fingertips down your ribcage. Use enough pressure that it does not tickle, but I want you to feel just my fingertips. Imagine my hands being accompanied by my mouth placing hot open mouthed kisses down your sternum to your stomach. Both hands on your ribcage now, love. Take it slow. Are you still making noises for me? -HL_

[02:45AM] **Glad I don’t have neighbors. It feels so good and I can’t keep quiet. I’m so hard, Hannibal. Please. WG**

[02:47AM] _I know, I know you’re hot for it, mylimasis. We still have areas to cover before I can fully take my pleasure from you. I do need to know something though. Before we try this next part. Do you have toys that you’ve teased yourself with anally? -HL_

[02:48AM] **I think you know the answer to that. WG**

[02:49AM] _Do not be tedious, Will. -HL_

[02:50AM] **Yes, Doctor Lecter. I have toys. WG**

[02:51AM] _You are more than I dared hope, Will. Please select your favorite and lubricant. You will be needing them soon enough. -HL_

[02:55AM] **I’m ready. WG**

[02:56AM] _Delightful. How hard are you for me? Are you leaking onto your skin, sensitive with your passion? -HL_

[02:58AM] **Iron. Dripping with it. Stomach is getting sticky. WG**

[02:59AM] _Mm. What I would give to taste you. Would you like it if I tasted you? -HL_

[02:59AM] **God, please. Yes please. -WG**

[03:00AM] _Good. Hold onto that thought, darling. We are not there yet. Open your legs wider for me, and trace your fingertips on the inside of your thighs. I want you to avoid any intimate areas just yet, but I want you to feel open for me. Imagine my hands tracing the delicate skin along the inside of your thighs near the seam of your leg. Gentle fingertips for me, love. Describe for me your heartbeat. -HL_

[03:01AM] **Fast and hard. Pounding in my chest. Wondering what’s going to happen. Excited, not worried. WG**

[03:04AM] _I like your excitement very much. I would hope to see it in your eyes. Brush your fingertips across your scrotum for me. The lightest touches you can stand. Caress yourself for me, let me feel those intimate areas. I want you to gently run a finger along your perineum. Not every time, but every once in a while. Feel the slight shock of it as you caress yourself. Is your breath hitching for me? Are you making noise for me? -HL_

[03:04AM] **Yes, god I can’t stop moaning. I want you so much. WG**

[03:05AM] _And you will have me, darling. Open yourself for me. I want you to apply lubricant to both your toy and to your fingers. You are going to need them. -HL_

_[03:06AM] **Yes, Doctor. I’m ready. WG**_

[03:08AM] _Good. We will begin gently, as I’m sure it’s been some time since you’ve taken, and I very much want to take you. Would that be okay? -HL_

_[03:09AM] **Anything. Want you. Please. WG**_

_[03:12AM] Shh, darling. I want you to open your legs wide. Brace your weight in the balls of your feet. Touch yourself down your perineum, then gently brush your fingers on your entrance. Do not push in just yet. Brush your wet fingertip around the skin in a gentle spiral. Feel yourself want to open to me. -HL_

[03:13AM] **God. WG**

[03:14AM] _Good. Now gently begin to press. Just the fingertip, love. Do not rush it. Give yourself plenty of time to adjust. And take me into you. Feel it as if it was me doing this for you. Moan it out for me, darling. Make noise for me. Tell me, does it feel good to have me inside you at last? -HL_

[03:18AM] **God Hannibal. In me. You’re inside me. WG**

[03:19AM] _Yes, inside you at last. Feeling you clench around me, even just my finger. Can you feel my body against yours, how hard you’ve made me? How good it will feel when I take you? -HL_

[03:20AM] **More, please. I need more. WG**

[03:21AM] _Take one for me, love. As far as you can reach. Gentle and slow. I have no wish to hurt you. Rock your hips down for me. Rock on your finger and feel it as if I was pulling you gently onto my own. Do you feel me moving in you? -HL_

[03:23AM] **Jesus, Hannibal. I can’t wait much longer. WG**

[03:26AM] _I know, and you’ll have what you need, I promise. I don’t want you to ache. I want you to enjoy this. I want you to feel me opening you up for me. Can you slide two fingers in? Go slowly. I want you to feel it. Moan for me. -HL_

[03:27AM] **God… WG**

[03:29AM] _That’s it, Will. You’re doing so well, letting me prepare you for me. Is your toy close and well lubricated? -HL_

[03:31AM] **Yes. Please let me have it. Please. WG**

[03:32AM] _Would you like me to draw this out, or would you like to come now? -HL_

[03:33AM] **Yes. WG**

[03:35AM] _You are more a delight than you will ever be able to comprehend. Are you ready for me, mylimasis? Do you want to feel me? -HL_

[03:36AM] **God… please…. WG**

[03:36AM] _Good. Very gently, begin to slide your toy in. I want you to feel every inch as if it was me taking you. Imagine my lips on yours, kissing patterns from your lips to your throat so I could hear the noises you make. I want your legs wrapped around my waist. Can you feel me breaching you my darling? Are you panting for me? -HL_

[03:38AM] **God… so much… want more…. Hannibal I want you WG**

[03:40AM] _Shhh you have me. Feel the stretch as I fill you. Take me inside you, feel us become one. Do you feel my hands pinning yours down? Do you feel me on top of you, moving slowly inside you? I have wanted you for so long, and I will enjoy every single moment of this. Follow my rhythm exactly, darling. Are you ready? -HL_

[03:41AM] **Yes. God, please take me Hannibal. I’m ready. WG**

[03:44AM] _Yes. It is time. Move with me, darling. Feel my skin against yours, let me taste your lips and swallow your cries as I take you. Slowly. Just faster than your heartbeat. Move with me, Will. Let me feel your body wrap around me. You’re so delightfully tight and hot. I could keep you here like this all night, let the sun rise with you wrapped around me. Lay back and let me take care of you. -HL_

[03:45AM] **Please, God. Hannibal I want… WG**

[03:46AM] _Are you ready to come for me, darling? HL_

[03:46AM] **I need it. I need to come. Please make me come. WG**

[03:47AM] _Show me. Let me see you pleasure yourself. Feel me deep inside you as you wrap your fingers along your cock my love. Stroke yourself. Just your fingertips to start, from root to tip. Gather the moisture at the crown of your cock to ease your movements. Be gentle and let it build. Ride the pleasure with me. -HL_

[03:48AM] **Please… WG**

[03:49AM] _Show me how good I’ve made you feel darling. I want you to come for me. Right now. Come crying my name. Let me taste your pleasure on your lips. -HL_

[03:53AM] **HANNIBAL... WG**

[03:58AM] **God… WG**

[03:59AM] _Back with me, are you? -HL_

[04:00AM] **What the absolute fuck. WG**

[04:00AM] _Are you okay? -HL_

[04:02AM] **A little wrecked if I’m completely honest. I don’t think I’ve had that intimate an experience in person, let alone over text. I’m exhausted, but sated in ways I didn’t know it was possible to be. WG**

[04:03AM] _Mm. Excellent. Would you call this a successful experiment then? -HL_

[04:05AM] **More than that, and you damn well know it. I can’t believe you can roleplay like that over text. It was incredible. WG**

[04:08AM] _And what makes you think for an instant that any of what I was sending to you was fabricated beyond the distance between us? I can conjure lust, Will. I can’t create passion where it doesn’t exist. -HL_

[04:09AM] _Do you feel better? -HL_

[04:10AM] **Yes. So much better. You’re saying that everything you said… WG**

[04:12AM] _Is something I would experience with you in a heartbeat, should it ever be offered. I do not hold out hope, and you are under no obligation. But truth is best, especially in the small hours of the night. I want you, Will. Very much. I have for some time now. Do not fret, though. It will not change the dynamic of our friendship. I have become very adept at reining in my emotions where you are concerned. -HL_

[04:13AM] **I don’t want you to do that. WG**

[04:13AM] _I am afraid that at this time, you have no choice. -HL_

[04:14AM] **I can’t let it go, not after you just blew my mind like that. We need to talk about it, Hannibal. I’m not letting this… you, go. WG**

[04:16AM] _Very well. Perhaps, one evening, we can discuss it over dinner. Does that suit? -HL_

[04:17AM] **That would be great. Tomorrow evening? Or today, rather? It’s getting to be very late indeed. WG**

[04:18AM] _That seems rather sudden, but I would be very pleased to have you here, Will. Please remember you are under no obligation of any kind when you are in my company. -HL_

[04:20AM] **It’s not about obligation. I want to see what happens when I can have what you just gave me in text, but the real thing. I want all of it. WG**

[04:21AM] _We shall see how you feel after you have had some sleep. Do you think you’ll be able to sleep now? -HL_

[04:23AM] **Absolutely. I can’t thank you enough for your assistance. You’re unbelievably creative when it comes to helping me relax. WG**

[04:27AM] _It was nothing at all, my friend. Sleep now. We shall discuss this at length over dinner tonight. HL_

[04:27AM] **I’m holding you to it. Plan something romantic, okay? WG**

[04:29AM] _As you wish. -HL_

[04:30AM] **Goodnight, Hannibal. WG**

[04:30AM] _Goodnight, dear Will. -HL_


	2. Physical Manipulations

_Your mind doesn’t know the difference_   
_Between fantasy and reality._   
_Your mind acts upon_   
_What you feed it._

_-Zig Zigla_

* * *

[04:54PM] **Hannibal? WG**  
  
[04:55PM] _Yes, Will? I am here. -HL_

[04:58PM] **I don’t know if I can do this. Be in the same room with you, knowing what you did for me last night. I don’t know if my mind can take it. WG**

[05:01PM] **I’m sorry. WG**

[05:04PM] _Why are you sorry? You have nothing for which to apologize. Are you uncomfortable being near me, or is it simply the idea of our shifting dynamic that has you nervous? -HL_

[05:06PM] **I think it’s just the dynamic, but I don’t know. I am just… terrified. WG**

[05:08PM] _Might I make a suggestion? -HL_

[05:10PM] I **knew you were going to ask that. WG**

[05:12PM] _Good, then you should not be surprised by the suggestion. I have already spent the afternoon working on the menu and have prepared to host you as a guest in my home. Let us treat it as, not a shift in our dynamic, but a dinner between two friends. Colleagues if you will, although it will pain me to look across the table and have you see me as less than a friend. Is that an acceptable compromise? -HL_  
  
[05:15PM] **I suppose it could be. Does this mean I have to dress up? WG**

[05:17PM] _One should always dress for the table at which they are being served. I chose many items tonight with comfortable sumptuousness in mind, believing that you would need to ease into your surroundings. While I prefer a well dressed man at my table, I will will take you as you come. Please stop worrying. Be here at 7:30PM. We will eat. We will have a drink in my office. You can think of it as an extended session if that helps. We can talk if you wish, or you can take your leave. As long as you dine with me tonight, the rest I shall consider a bonus. -HL_

[05:26PM] **Are you certain? WG**

[05:27PM] I _have never been more certain of a thing in my life. Now. Take a long, hot shower. Relax yourself of the nerves you’ve unnecessarily frazzled. Prepare yourself for an exquisite dining experience. I expect nothing more than the delight of your company at my table. -HL_

[05:29PM] **Okay. I will be there at 7:30. Do I need to bring anything? WG**

[05:31PM] _I am content for you to bring only yourself. I will have everything else we may need. I shall see you at 7:30. Try not to be late. The timing of my dishes depends on it. -HL_

[05:35PM0 **I’ll be there. WG**

***

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can help you with?” Will said as he removed his shoes and placed them by the door. Hannibal crossed the space to the kitchen with a mouthwatering speed and grace that kept Will’s eyes on his form until he retreated behind the counter to finish preparing their meal. Wiping his hands on his apron, Hannibal shook his head, silver and golden hair shining in the bright lights above him. When he had opened the door, Will had felt overwhelmingly underdressed in his black slacks and black dress shirt. He hadn’t bothered with a tie, but had combed his hair until his curls fell softly around his face, begging for fingers to be run through them. He had also worn a new aftershave, something clean and masculine with a touch of woodsy spice to balance out the scent, deepening it into something he hoped would be more beguiling than what he usually wore. Hannibal had breathed in slightly and lifted an eyebrow as he passed, but didn’t comment. The doctor was dressed in a deep blue shirt, sleeves rolled up to expose his tanned forearms. Black dress slacks and vest and a subtly patterned black tie completed the outfit. He looked like a modern dignitary; capable of both beguiling and commanding a room at a glance. Will’s lack of a tie left him feeling underdressed and scrubby, but the appreciative look in Hannibal’s eye as he took Will’s overcoat eased some of the discomfort he felt. _Clearly_ , he told himself _Hannibal doesn’t mind_. _Relax for god's sake._ He walked through the house, gazing about with a quiet interest at his surroundings before taking a seat at the bar to watch what Hannibal was doing.

“I have actually almost finished in the kitchen,” Hannibal said, lifting the last of a half shell of oyster to the plate before him, wiping his hands as he did so. “I would prefer you to make yourself at home in the dining room. I will be with you with our first course within a few minutes.” Gesturing behind him, Will spotted an open door off of the kitchen, the soft glow of candlelight coming from the space. Smiling wanly, he nodded and stood, making his way to the other room. When he came to the entryway, he stopped in his tracks, his heart thudding against his ribs. The dark wood of the dining set gleamed as if newly polished, the center of the table piled high with a cornucopia of deep red, golden yellow and plum flowers, the colors mingling pleasantly with the light from several tall tapers lit around them. Mixed amongst the flowers sat several cut pomegranates and dark figs, the fruit sliced to show the decadent insides, ready for consumption. _He chose foods that would appeal to all the senses. Touch, sight, taste_. Things to be shared, to be fed. Will’s face flushed as he took his seat at the end of the table, his attention brought to the fine bone china and gleaming metal of the flatware sitting in its place next to his plate. He took a seat, glancing around at the rest of the room as he did so. Hannibal had purchased tall metal tripods that held additional candles, the metal gleaming darkly in the flickering light. The air felt heavy and dreamlike; Will knew he would be picturing himself here, preparing to eat with Hannibal, for days to come. 

As if summoned into existence, the man himself emerged from the kitchen, a large plate in his hands. He slowed, coming to a stop just inside the doorway as he surveyed Will from where he stood. Will resisted the urge to fidget but it was a near thing. Hannibal’s eyes filled with a dark pleasure as he shook his head, moving forward to set the plate between their settings on the table. He straightened, but took a moment to survey Will in the candlelight before taking a seat.

“What?” Will muttered, trying to hide his discomfort. Hannibal smiled and poured them both a glass of deep burgundy wine before answering. 

“I am simply admiring you amongst the context of my table,” Hannibal murmured, his voice silken and soft as the candle smoke. “I apologize for making you uncomfortable in any way.” Will’s neck burned hotly as he took in the first of their dishes, feigning far more interest in the food than he felt. Hannibal spoke unprompted, as if sensing he would want to fill the silence. “The first course we shall have this evening is duck foie gras, served with toasted bread made with nuts and figs. We shall follow it with oysters on the half shell that have been topped with green ceviche. Our main course this evening is a roasted rack of lamb, herb encrusted with lemon rice and asparagus.” He carefully selected a slice of bread, which had already been topped with foie gras, gesturing for Will to do the same. They took a bite simultaneously, inclining their heads as if in a toast. The mutual moans of Epicurean delight broke the tension in the room as Will chewed slowly, savoring the food Hannibal had prepared. Hannibal’s pupils grew softly swollen as Will selected another slice.

“This is delicious. Thank you for preparing food like this. As always, you take much better care of me than I do.” Hannibal smiled before selecting another piece for himself.

“I wanted to draw upon your senses tonight, Will. Sight and texture along with taste can make a world of difference when experiencing food as it should be eaten.” Will smiled, selecting a third slice from the plate before leaning back into his chair.

“I had almost that exact thought when I saw the oysters tonight. And how do you feel food should be experienced?” Hannibal stared at his lips with dark eyes as Will took another bite.

“Slowly and with the utmost appreciation for the ingredients selected. Paired with fine wine, better company, and appropriately decadent conversation.” Will laughed before taking his final bite, relishing the rich taste of the foie gras with the sweetly savory rustic bread Hannibal had chosen. _Such a unique combination, the deliciously savory mixed with a surprising sweetness_. 

“I’ll endeavor to remember that, Doctor.” Hannibal’s smile turned to a grin as he stood to collect the plate and prepare the next course.

The oysters Hannibal had selected proved to be the perfect palate cleanser. Hannibal watched him bring each half shell to his lips before selecting his own, his eyes delighted as Will savored the clean, salty taste. They discussed cooking and the stars, the possibility of traveling to Europe and what Will would want to see if he went. The ebb and flow of their conversation from topic to topic was easy, as if they had spent many nights deep in such conversations. As they began their main course, at Hannibal’s request, Will began naming cities he wanted to visit until one seemed to take Hannibal’s interest above the rest.

“Rome?” Hannibal mused, brushing a piece of imaginary lint from Will’s sleeve, his chin resting in his other hand as he regarded the profiler. Will nodded as he clutched his fork like a lifeline, feeling the touch like a sledgehammer to his chest. The fingers that brushed against his arm were warm and familiar, and while they didn’t linger, his heart thudded as if they had just kissed. “Why Rome, and what would you choose to see should you visit?” Will swallowed, the sound audible in the hushed quiet of the room.

“I’ve always wanted to experience Trevi Fountain,” he said, taking a sip of wine to clear the thickness from his throat. “The Colosseum of course. The Pantheon.” Hannibal listened, fascinated by his choices.

“And The Basilica? Perhaps take in the Vatican?” Will had snorted into his wine.

“I do not feel the need to feel closer to god, Hannibal. I think I can do without the reminders that so many people believe in a higher power that is unwilling to help them at their greatest times of need.” Hannibal nodded, taking another bite of his food, chewing slowly as he thought. 

“It is understandable, given the nature of your work, that you would prefer not to believe in a higher power. If there was a god, it would be supremely discourteous of him to allow such terrible fates to befall his creation. But doesn’t the idea that man builds such monuments to a creator they have never seen fascinate you?” Will nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.

“That’s why I want to see the Pantheon.” Hannibal’s laugh had tightened his chest and forced him to cross his legs. The hours slipped by as they continued to talk, their food eaten at a languorous pace, each bite savored as if it were their first and last. Then they finished, Will watched as Hannibal stood to collect their plates, the low burning candles accenting the musculature in his back as he moved through the room. Will’s mouth went dry as he envisioned running his hands along those muscles, feeling how they were formed, the warmth and strength that radiated from them. He picked up his glass as Hannibal walked back into the room, carrying two small dishes, a small smile playing on his lips as he set one in front of his guest.

Their dessert was simple; brightly colored berries nestled under a pile of Chantilly cream, topped with the barest drizzle of pomegranate reduction to curb the sweetness of the cream. Will was enamored from the first bite and ate with a quiet enthusiasm he rarely displayed for sweets, chasing the last bit of cream in his dish with his spoon while Hannibal watched him with amusement. Their conversation had worn down, snippets of travels shared between smiles as they sat back and regarded eachother in the low light of the room. Hannibal stretched, smiling, and offered Will a hand to help him stand. Will flushed and took it although he didn’t need assistance. The chance to feel Hannibal’s skin against his own was too good to pass up. As their fingers brushed, Will’s entire body lit up like the Fourth of July; sparks of pleasure wound their way from his scalp down his back as as he stood.

“Shall we retire to my office, then? I have a perfect after dinner brandy already selected.” Will nodded, his face lowered so Hannibal wouldn’t see the bright red of his cheeks. Hannibal moved to clear the dishes, attempting to usher Will to his office as he cleaned. “I won’t be but a moment with these. You are welcome to start the fire if you wish.” Will smiled as he took the stack from Hannibal’s hands.

“The cook doesn’t do the dishes. If you want to start the fire and pour those brandies, I’ll get these soaking.” Hannibal watched as he maneuvered through the doorway with the stack in his hands, bemused. With another stern look from the delight of Will’s blue gaze, he relegated himself to the back room, trying to calm his nerves as he loaded the firewood. _The game has not yet completed, and he doesn’t want to play tonight._ _Keep it together a little longer, and there may be some fond memories yet to peruse once he takes his leave._

***

“I don’t believe I could eat another bite, no matter how I tried. You know how to set a magnificent table, Hannibal. Thanks for that.” Will stretched his legs out before him, slumped into a chair in Hannibal’s office that had been pulled comfortably by the fire. Two snifters of brandy were placed on the table between where he sprawled languidly and the chair where Hannibal sat, his long legs also stretched before him but looking far more elegant than Will could ever manage. The bottle that sat next to the glasses was made of ornately carved crystal and looked older than anything else in the room, faintly European in design. It bolstered Will’s mental image of Hannibal as an exotic modern foreign dignitary; a man of high breeding and equally sumptuous taste. He was the kind of man he’d find in the pages of every men’s magazine, articles written about his life and accomplishments while he sat poised in a leather armchair, sipping from the glass much like the ones on the table. Flushing with pleased embarrassment as much as from the wine he had consumed with dinner, Will knew that if such a magazine existed, he’d own several copies just to have them laying about in plain sight in his house. _I’d also keep one on the nightstand, for those special occasions I get the chance to reread your texts._ Will’s face flushed darker as he attempted to conceal the thought that had crossed his mind. Hannibal’s voice drifted from his chair, low with relaxation and darkly enticing.

“You’re most welcome. I am happy I was able to share a meal with you in my home, and that you didn’t decide this evening would be too much for you.” Will nodded and reached for his glass, taking a small sip of brandy and letting it swirl on his tongue. _Perfect._

‘You’ve always had a different effect on me than most people. Your calm reassurance is… comforting. Plus,” he said, grinning across the small space at the doctor, “you have a 24 hour cancellation policy. It wouldn’t do for me to stand you up twice.” Hannibal laughed, the sound ringing through the air as Will shifted in his seat. The sound of Hannibal’s uninhibited laughter stirred his blood, making him want to be reckless and take all he knew Hannibal would offer him. Hannibal looked over sleepily, his face happy and as relaxed as Will had ever seen him. _God, what I wouldn’t give to be brave._

“I will always be what you need, Will. Until you inform me that you no longer wish to continue our association, I will endeavor to be whatever influence you wish of me.” Something in the statement drew Will’s breath, set his heart thrashing in his chest. _Anything I need? And what if I need your hands on my skin?_ The thought came unbidden to the forefront of his mind, sticking like taffy as he tried to think.

“I-” Hannibal shook his head.

“You do not have to commit to anything tonight, or ever if that’s the case. Just know that I endeavor to always be there to fulfill your desires.” His lips curled into a wicked smile. “Even if they’re after 2 in the morning.” Will grinned guiltily, his mind swimming.

“I am sorry about that. I honestly picked up my phone and just needed…” Hannibal nodded, reaching across the small table to lay a hand on Will’s arm.

“I, for one, am not sorry. It brought you here, to my home for the evening,” he said, his eyes large and dark in the firelight. “We had a meal by candlelight. We discussed topics that had nothing to do with the work you wade through every single day. I hope that it brought you some level of comfort, knowing you can have time with me with no expectations.” Will nodded, checking his watch as he downed the last of his brandy.

“Speaking of…as much as I don’t want to call it a night, it’s already well on 11, and I still have to suffer through lectures tomorrow morning.” He looked guiltily at Hannibal’s face, expecting some kind of quiet anger or resigned tiredness to his features, but the doctor just smiled warmly and nodded his ascent. Hannibal stood, once again holding out his hands. Will took them reluctantly, letting the warmth of Hannibal’s skin wash over him as he got to his feet. As they moved through the darkened house, Will couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be going through to the bedroom with his lips pressed to Hannibal’s neck, rather than heading for the quiet and solitude of his own bed. As he pulled his shoes on, he stood and turned to face Hannibal holding out his coat to him. Turning his back, he felt the material slide into place, Hannibal’s touch lingering on his skin, burning in its wake. Will turned, meeting Hannibal’s eyes as his fingers slid down Will’s arms, now encased in the fabric of his coat.

“I had a wonderful evening with you, Will. You’ve been my favorite dinner guest in longer than I care to admit.” Hannibal paused, thinking quietly in the darkness of the hall. “Will you do me a favor when you return home?” His voice was thick and soft , wrapping around Will like a velvet hand. He nodded, his eyes dropping to Hannibal’s mouth, watching as it curled into a small smile. Hannibal’s hand wrapped around his neck, playing through the curls at the base of his skull. Will’s eyes closed for a moment as he relished in the touch, his body thrumming with need. He didn’t realize he was moving until his back hit the solid wood of the door. Hannibal tilted his face upward, meeting his gaze as his own lips descended, asking the question with his eyes. _Stop me._

Will’s own mouth parted slightly as Hannibal’s lips brushed his own, light as a feather, just enough to taste without being an actual kiss. Will moaned quietly and reached for Hannibal’s waist, bringing their bodies flush as he shivered. He unconsciously reached for Hannibal’s mouth with his own, sighing into the kiss that stole his breath. He had never wanted to sob with need and relief from a kiss, but there was something gentle and tender in the way he was being handled, as if Hannibal didn’t want him to break. The doctor’s mouth was soft and warm as his lips moved gently against his own. Will never wanted the kiss to end. After long minutes of gentle contact, their lips parted and Hannibal rested their foreheads together for a moment, overcome. He let their breath mingle in the small space between them before raising his lips to Will’s forehead.

“Please drive safe this evening, Will. I would be devastated if something happened to you.” Will nodded, the kiss replaying in his head. He wanted more, but he had set the boundaries for the evening and had to make sure he kept them, no matter how much he wanted to kiss the parted lips in front of him.

“I’ll text you when I arrive home. Will that work?” Hannibal’s eyes gleamed as he nodded. He stepped back and opened the door, placing one more small kiss to Will’s temple before letting him go. 

“Please do not forget to let me know you arrived safely. I will be waiting for your message.” Will nodded, wishing with everything he had the courage to ask for what he wanted. _I don’t want to leave you_. He turned and walked down the path to his car, part of him firmly planted in Hannibal’s home, pinning him to the door as he kissed the life from him. 

His drive seemed foreign and empty, the entire ride spent wishing he could turn around and return to the arms of the man he had left only minutes before.

***

Hannibal had just finished putting the rest of the dishes away when his phone chimed. Wiping his hands clean, he picked it up to read the message it contained.

[11:16PM] **I made it safely home and inside. Thank you again for tonight. It was more than I could have thought to expect. WG**

Smiling, Hannibal typed out his reply, leaning into the counter in the kitchen as he did so. The cold of the stone felt good pressed into his back, and he could imagine quite clearly a hand on either side of his hips, pinning him in place as he explored the mouth of the man whose text he was responding to.

[11:19PM] _I am happy to hear you made it home in one piece. I, too had a wonderful time in your company. Perhaps we can do it again, sometime in the near future. -HL_

Hannibal paused, wondering if it were too soon to ask for a second dinner. Even as he thought it, he realized that he didn’t care. He’d rather put his cards on the table with his intentions clearly on display than play games. Pocketing his phone, he moved through the house to his bedroom, closing the door behind him as he worked his tie free. When his phone chimed, he abandoned the knot at his throat to check the response, his heart thudding in his chest.

[11:22PM] **I would like that very much. WG**

Hannibal’s lips curled into a smile as he typed, the knot in his stomach loosening. _So he wants this as well. Perhaps tonight has changed his mind about many things._

[11:24PM] _Shall we set a date, or would you prefer to play it by ear, and choose when you are feeling up for company? HL_

Throwing his phone on the bed, he removed his tie and began to unbutton his shirt, pulling the fabric free from his slacks as he did so. His touch against his bare skin felt almost too good, as wound up as he had been from watching Will consume the foods he had chosen for them to eat. He could imagine plunging into the depths of his hot mouth, Will’s tongue sliding against his hot, hard flesh as he took what he needed. Will’s enjoyment of the food had been almost too much for Hannibal to handle, watching helplessly as his clever tongue chased tastes from his fork, his fingers, and one particularly memorable moment, his wrist. The shine of butter sauce on his lip had been particularly affecting, thickening Hannibal’s cock in his pants before he could breathe a thought to quell it. 

The rest of the evening had been spent in a mental war; knowing he wasn’t allowed to touch but wanting Will with such ferocity, it had become all but impossible to ignore. The kiss they shared against the door had almost undone him, and had he not let him go, they would have stripped and fucked right where they were, Will pinned in place by Hannibal’s weight as he drove into him. Letting him walk out the door had almost broken his resolve, and the ensuing slump while his heart calmed took longer than he wanted to admit. He wanted everything the profiler had to offer, but his body was at the forefront of his mind at the moment. As he tossed the shirt into the hamper and began to undo his belt, another quiet chime came from the bed.

[11:31PM] **Would this weekend be too soon? WG**

The curl of anticipation that filled Hannibal’s gut caught his breath. His cock gave a hopeful twitch as he typed back.

[11:32PM] _Certainly not. That will work well for me. Shall I make us dinner again? -HL_

[11:34PM] **That would actually be great. I won’t have to rush out for the night either. I can stay later, if we get deep in conversation. WG**

 _You delightful man_ , Hannibal thought. _I would keep you in my bed the entire weekend if you’d let me_. He typed his reply as he stepped out of his pants, picking them up idly and tossing them in the laundry basket as he hit send.

[11:39PM] _Then that shall be our plan. Let me know what time you will be available as the day draws closer and I will plan something suitable for the table. -HL_

[11:41PM] **Will your ‘something suitable’ contain more aphrodisiacs like the oysters? WG**

Hannibal laughed at Will’s cheek as he typed, grinning down at his phone like a teenager.

[11:43PM] _Perhaps, not that they need to be thought of as such. Did it make you uncomfortable? -HL_

[11:46PM] **No… it seemed to have the desired effect. Couldn’t stop staring at you all night. Now I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep. WG**

Hannibal’s heart thudded in his chest as he read the last text several times before choosing his response carefully.

[11:49PM] _Is there anything I do to help remedy your sleep situation? -HL_

He pulled on a pair of comfortable grey sleep pants, leaving his chest bare as he padded into the bathroom to clean his teeth. The chime from his phone was almost deafening with his need. Turning off the light, Hannibal slid under the covers, extinguishing the lights before reading the message, letting the darkness hug around him as he stared at the words.

[11:50PM] **I couldn’t ask you to do that a second time… I have plenty of little moments I can enjoy from tonight that should help me along in my goal. WG**

Hannibal swallowed hard as he typed out his reply.

[11:52PM] _And if I wished to help a second time? HL_

[11:54PM] **I wouldn’t stop you. It would be welcome, of course. I can’t stop thinking about the way you kissed me tonight. WG**

Hannibal smiled, the fingers of his left hand idling down his hard length through his pants as he responded.

[11:55PM] _Would it help to know how I would have continued had I thought it would be welcome? -HL_

[11:58PM] **That would be… yeah. Please tell me. WG**

Removing of his own clothes, Hannibal slid back beneath the covers, relishing in the way the sheets felt against his naked skin before responding.

[12:01AM] _Very well. Do you remember the rules from last time? -HL_

[12:04AM] **Yes, Doctor. I remember. I’ll do anything you ask. WG**

 _Anything? Oh Will, don’t make promises you can’t hope to keep._ Grinning wickedly, Hannibal let his own flesh slide between the loose circle of his fingers as he continued.

[12:07AM] _Good, Will. I like very much that you want to explore. Tonight, I will give you the fantasy I had when I couldn’t stop myself from kissing you. I want you to read my words, and follow the actions I would be performing in the fantasy, to the best of your ability. Is that something with which you will be comfortable? -HL_

[12:09AM] **Hannibal… WG**

[12:13AM] _Very well, darling. I will not keep you in suspense any longer. Kissing you was… incendiary. My soul caught fire as I cradled your face in my hands, gripped your hair. There against the doorway, I would have opened that wonderful black shirt you wore tonight, a color that makes you look delightfully sinful I might add, button by button, and nibbled my way along your skin as I did so. I want to taste you and feel you arch into my touch. I want to know what makes you feel good. -HL_

[12:16AM] _Once I had it opened and pulled from your pants so I could see the color frame your body, I would have taken to my knees and nosed along your erection, feeling the hard flesh flex beneath my touch. I would very much like to mouth your skin while you are still clothed, giving you a taste of what you want without giving it completely. Would you like that? -HL_

[12:19AM] **God, yes. Please more. WG**

[12:22AM] _I would not be able to last long without tasting you, not with how much I desired you tonight. I have imagined for many nights what it would be to enjoy you with my mouth, bring you to the edge of ecstasy and cool you, whisper against your skin while I feel your muscles fight your orgasm, only to take you back into my mouth. I want the animal scent of you filling my senses as I explore the head of your cock with my tongue and lips, as I take you fully into my mouth. I want to find what makes you shake, what would give me need to pin your hips to the door so you can stand when your knees grow weak. -HL_

[12:24AM] _Are you hard for me? Shaking? Do you want me, Will? -HL_

[12:26AM] **God yes. Yes, please. I’m so close already. You already had me wound so tight. WG**

[12:34AM] _I fear tonight would not have been a night to draw things out. Tonight would be for taking, for having what we both need. What I need from you, Will is to pin you back to my door, hold your hips in place as I place a leg over my shoulder so I can work you open with my tongue. While lubricant would eventually be needed, I want to feel you give to me, feel you open for me. Would you let your body open for me? Can I use my mouth on you? -HL_

[12:37AM] **Please, anything you want. Tongue, fingers, yes. Open me. Taste me. Have me. Make me come. Please. WG**

[12:41AM] _Shh darling. It’s coming. When I know you’re open and ready for me, I would have wrapped your legs around me and pressed you into the door. I want to feel your waist in my hands as you grip me with your thighs. I want to feel you as I slide slowly into you. I want to impale you, claim your body as you’ve claimed my soul. I want to feel you squeeze around me, hot and tight as I work myself slowly into you. Your mouth on mine as I take you, pinned back against my door as I make you mine. -HL_

[12:39AM] **God yes. More. WG**

[12:43AM] _When I knew you were settled, when I wouldn’t hurt you, I would set a deliciously slow pace so you could feel the drag of the head of my cock on your prostate. I want to make sure you’re open for me, Will. I want you to give to me. Let me take you. I want to fuck you against my door while you moan around my tongue, work my way into you, feel your body around mine. I thought of nothing else when you put your shoes on tonight, how easy it would be to show you how much I want you. Would that feel good for you? Do you want me to take you? -HL_

[12:45AM] **God, yes please. Please have me. WG**

[12:51AM] _When I knew you were ready, when you could take no more without release… -HL_

[12:53AM] **Hannibal… WG**

[12:55AM] _I would pick up the pace, giving you all of me. Working my cock into you, making you moan for me. I would make you breathless as I moved your hand to your own erection, whispered in your ear to show me how good I make you feel. -HL_

[12:56AM] **God, yes. I need it so bad. I need you. Can I come? Please, Hannibal can I come? WG**

[12:59AM] _I cannot resist you when you beg for me, Will. Feel me fill you and show me how good it feels. Come for me. Now. -HL_

Hannibal’s own hand worked unconsciously over his erection, gathering the moisture from the crown of his cock and spreading it along his length as he thrust through his fist. His mind was filled with the sounds he was sure Will would make, entranced at how tight and hot he would feel as he fucked him against the door, claiming his body as he buried his face into his neck and moaned. He was hardly aware of the chime of his phone as his climax hit, white and sharp peaks of pleasure rolling across his skin as he shook, fantasizing about how good it would feel to fill Will as he thrust into him, wrung out with what remained of his tremors. When he finally came back to himself, he reached for his phone, his whole body tingling as he trembled with the aftershocks of his orgasm.

[01:03AM] Y **ou are far too good at that, Doctor. I would say I fear it’s going to become an addiction, but I’m hoping for the real thing. WG**

[01:07AM] _I daresay I became as caught up in the fantasy as you were tonight, Will. Do you feel better? -HL_

[01:11AM] **Wait, did you just text yourself to orgasm? WG**

Hannibal snorted and shook his head as he got up to clean his body before he slept. The cold cloth felt good on his heated skin as he cleaned himself of the exertions of his passion.

[01:13AM] _Let’s simply leave it at I find the idea of our passion as intensely satisfying as you do. And seeing as it was my fantasy… I took advantage. -HL_

[01:16AM] **That is really something amazing, Hannibal. I’m almost worried about surviving the real thing. WG**

Hannibal walked back to the bed, tired and completely sated from the experience they just shared. While wanting to feel the closeness of their orgasms, his eyes were already beginning to droop, and he didn’t want to fall asleep without saying goodnight. With one eye open, he typed with one hand, stifling a yawn as he did so.

[01:18AM] _Never fear, Will. You are endlessly safe in my hands when it comes to our shared passions. Shall we try to rest? I have an insufferable client in the morning, and crime seems to wait for no man. -HL_

[01:21AM] **Yeah… already falling asleep. Thank you for everything, Hannibal. I can’t wait until Friday. I look forward to a demonstration to the quality of the construction of your door. WG**

Hannibal grinned sleepily at his phone, wishing Will was present so he could kiss him again.

[01:25AM] _Wicked man. We will see if you deserve the door by then. Sleep well. I’m sure we will speak tomorrow. -HL_

[01:27AM] **Sleep well. Talk in the morning. WG**

Hannibal sighed and rolled onto his side, turning off the light to his phone after ensuring the alarm had been set. Closing his eyes, sleep came easily, and was filled with the world he wanted to give to Will. _There’s only a little blood to be spilled to make it possible_ , he thought in his dream. _We will take your becoming one day at a time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This new chapter is dedicated to all the wonderful people who left me comments on this story when I wrote it, especially my good friend A. Without you, I would constantly be double posting chapters. 🤍🤍
> 
> I hope this helps alleviate some of the stress in Paper Faces right now. I adore you all.
> 
> Hearts and body parts,  
> JM


	3. Digital Dalliances

_Shhh._   
_Show me._   
_-anonymous_

* * *

[12:41AM] **Hannibal?**

[12:43AM] _Yes, Will?_

[12:46AM] **Did I wake you?**

[12:48AM] _No. I have been awake for some time. Was there something you needed?_

[12:50AM] **Have you been… ignoring me? On purpose, I mean.**

[12:51AM] _What makes you believe I would put in the effort to ignore you?_

[12:54AM] **We haven’t worked together since… you know. Since that night. I thought that maybe you asked to be kept off cases involving me.**

[12:57AM] _And why would I do such a thing?_

[12:58AM] **Because… Jesus, I sound like a teenage girl.**

[01:00AM] _Perhaps. But if you are in search of clarity, I’m afraid you’re going to have to ask precisely what you mean. I cannot read your mind, nor do I have the energy to try at such a late hour. Why do you believe I would go to such great lengths to ensure I am not in your presence? Is there perhaps something you did? Maybe something you didn’t do?_

[01:01AM] **I’m sorry.**

[01:04AM] _I want you to know that I am currently holding my head in my hands, Will. Because you are making it ache. Please don’t make me pull every response from you or I will grow tired enough to sleep. Now, for the love of all that is holy. For what are you sorry? Try to make the response more than two words this time. I require details to function at this hour._

[01:06AM] **Forget it. I’m going to go to bed.**

[01:07AM] _Perhaps that’s best. This conversation is not meant for the early hours of the morning when you reached out in the vain hope that I would overlook the fact that I have been, to use the modern colloquialism, ‘ghosted’, all because you are having a difficult time sleeping and you no longer have nearly as much luck putting yourself to sleep as I do. Did I miss anything?_

[01:09AM] **I didn’t mean to let it go so long between our talks, Hannibal.**

[01:12AM] _Talks? Is that what you would call them? That was an almost apology. Be still my heart._

[01:14AM] **I AM sorry. The case I’m working on has kept me running on low fuel. Jack is having me jump through so many hoops, you’d think I was a trained poodle, or one of those seals that can balance a ball on his nose.**

[01:16AM] _Can you balance a ball on your nose?_

[01:19AM] **Don’t make me laugh when I’m trying to apologize.**

[01:21AM] _Except you aren’t fumbling at an apology. No person texts at this hour unless he or she is looking for something very specific, whether in person or through a digital dalliance._

[01:24AM] **Digital dalliance?**

[01:27AM] _A way to experience orgasm without the emotional connection of being in the physical presence of another. I believe the modern euphemism is ‘sexting’._

[01:31AM] **I cannot believe you just used the term sexting in a sentence.**

[01:32AM] _I see that you do not deny this is what you were hoping for._

[01:34AM] **You’re right. I hoped beyond all measure that you could forgive me my trespasses and help me forget my day, even for a little while. I haven’t slept well in days and when I do sleep, all I see is the bodies I’ve been working with. I don’t want to bother you with my problems. I shouldn’t have reached out tonight either and when I did, I should have known this is the conversation we would have. I just… I need you, Hannibal.**

[01:35AM] _You need relief. With someone safe. In an environment in which you feel comfortable._

_[01:37AM] **If you want to put it into clinical terms… Yes. God yes.** _

[01:38AM] _Would you object to a more physical approach to your need for relief than the use of your cell phone?_

[01:40AM] **What exactly do you have in mind?**

[01:41AM] _I propose we move forward with the initial plan we set weeks ago, with one exception. I will come to you._

[01:43AM] **You want to drive here in the middle of the night?**

[01:44AM] _I want to bring you the relief you need in the middle of the night. As a psychiatrist, I believe you would benefit far more from sating some of the skin hunger and need for intimacy than you would from stroking yourself into oblivion while reading text on a screen._

[01:46AM] **So instead of sexting, you’re suggesting a booty call?**

[01:49AM] _Ahh the delights of modern slang. If that is how you are comfortable assessing the situation, then yes. I am suggesting a therapeutic booty call. Do you agree?_

[01:55AM] _Will?_

[02:01AM] _If you need to think about it so hard, then perhaps I grossly miscalculated. Forgive me for being so forward in my suggestions._

[02:04AM] _Will?_

[02:15AM] _Did you fall asleep finally? Did I bore you enough with my offers at intimacy that you were able to get some rest?_

[02:21AM] _Goodnight, mylimasis._

***

Hannibal closed his messages and locked his phone, frustrated and more than a little aroused. It had been over three weeks since the dinner they had shared. Their text messages had dwindled into almost nonexistence, their connection through Jack’s insistence that Will see a psychiatrist severed with the long hours they had both been putting in in their various professions. Will’s appointment came and went three times without him making an appearance, leaving Hannibal ill at ease, wishing he hadn’t responded to the original late night text. He couldn’t help but be drawn to the melancholic beauty in both mind and body that Will provided, but in providing him with some relief in the hopes of developing a deeper connection, Hannibal had driven him away. _I should have anticipated this reaction_ , he thought bitterly. _I should have seen that pushing past anything he asked for would be ill advised._

The doctor sighed and padded down the hall to the kitchen, in need of a glass of something alcoholic to help him sleep. He opened the wine cellar, scratching absentmindedly at his bare chest as his eyes flitted over the shelves. He inspected the bottles that surrounded him without really seeing them, his mind on the ill fated conversation he had only minutes before. Sighing, he padded to the far corner and pulled a bottle of Shiraz down, inspecting its label before nodding to himself. He turned off the light and made his way back to the kitchen, opening a cabinet to retrieve a wine glass, setting it on the counter with a faint clink while he located a corkscrew. He carefully eased the cork from the bottle, pausing to take a whiff, a low hum in his throat escaping at the delectable scent. He poured himself a small taste into his glass, closing his eyes to better enjoy the herbal, peppery blend he had chosen. The spicy flavor burned as he swallowed, a perfect accompaniment to his sour mood. Pouring himself a glass, he leaned into the counter, losing himself in the night Will had been there. He tried to firmly keep his memories away from the way Will’s mouth had tasted, darkened with fruit and wine, something to slowly savor instead of relinquish back into the night. The second he had left, Hannibal had wished he would have asked him to stay. _Now I will never know-_

The knock on the door startled him out of his reverie. Placing the glass on the counter, heart beating hard, Hannibal padded to the entryway, peering through the panel of glass to the side of his door as he reached to unlock it. He hadn’t put the security light on, but the distinct untidy curls gave away the identity of his late night visitor as surely as a spotlight would have. Hannibal fumbled with the lock, his fingers trembling as he pulled the door open to reveal Will, still in his pajamas, standing on his doorstep. He looked warm and soft, pliant from sleep and wary as he looked owlishly up to meet Hannibal’s eyes, his own obscured by his glasses.

“You said…” Will cleared his throat nervously and tried again. “You said more. I didn’t want you to drive all that way. So I thought…” Hannibal hauled him into the house by the arm, closing the door behind him before pressing Will to the cold wood. He hissed as his back hit the solid surface, but the sound was cut off as Hannibal’s lips descended upon his own. Before he knew what he was doing, Hannibal’s hands had found the profiler’s hips, pinning him as Will wound his arms around his shoulders. They groaned, their lips opening as the kiss deepened. Hannibal’s hands found their way beneath the hem of the white t shirt Will wore, his fingers skimming along the warm skin he found, stroking him while he whimpered into their kiss as their tongues stroked. Will’s mouth was warm and soft, and as Hannibal licked his way inside to taste him, he knew he was lost. The hands at his shoulders found their way into his hair and tugged, begging a reprieve. As their lips came apart, Hannibal’s mouth skimmed down the pale expanse of his neck, tasting salty skin and lust as Will moaned into his ear.

“Hannibal-” The sound of his name brokenly whispered into his ear very nearly shattered Hannibal’s control. Of all of his lovers, nobody had ever whispered his name like he was everything, like the sound in their mouth gave them pleasure and sustenance. Heart beating hard, Hannibal relinquished his hold on Will’s hips, pressing their foreheads together as they breathed. Every exhale was a gentle brush of lips, a promise of what was to come. A wave of tenderness pulsed under Hannibal’s skin, the emotion welling up in his throat as he brushed his lips against Will’s, completely helpless to resist the pull of the profiler’s mouth. He leaned back to survey the man pressed to his door, the white shirt he had worn clinging to his torso, the deep blue lounging pants loose and comfortable. The sight shouldn’t have been evocative, but Hannibal couldn’t help but to be moved by the casual comfort of his tousled curls and clothes obviously made for sleep. Everything about him drew Hannibal back into his arms as they kissed gently, letting their passion cool. Hannibal found the shell of Will’s ear and nipped sharply before soothing the bite with his tongue. Will moaned weakly as he clung to the doctor’s shoulders, panting his name.

“I want you, Will. I want you very much,” Hannibal rumbled, voice low and gravelly with need. “As much as I would love to fulfill the fantasy of taking you against my front door…” Will shuddered, reaching for his lips. Hannibal moved back, taking the profiler’s hand, Hannibal lead Will through the house towards his bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he gathered Will’s face into his hands, watching his pupils swell gently. Their lips met, slightly chapped skin pulling gently as their passion overtook tenderness, the inferno building beyond anything Hannibal had ever known. Will was as hard as iron, pressing unconsciously into his leg, seeking friction as he dug his fingers into Hannibal’s back, blunt nails scratching along his skin. The moan that escaped Hannibal’s lips made his heart pound as he walked Will back towards the bed, pausing only long enough to pull the t shirt up and over his head, baring the pale skin of his chest. He was remarkably well formed beneath his clothes. They hit the edge of the bed, Hannibal careful to lay Will down gently before following him down, their lips still seeking the comfort and familiarity of their kisses. Hannibal abandoned Will’s lips to make his way slowly down his body, worshiping every inch of skin he found; brushing against his nipples while Will moaned and bucked up into his touch, his skin aching with need. _That’s it, darling. Show me. God, show me what you need._

“Does it feel good, Will?” Hannibal whispered against his neck, stroking the tightened peaks with his thumbs. The breathy moan that answered him would not leave his memory for the rest of his days. 

“Feels… oh god it feels…” Hannibal brushed a slow circuit along his skin, palms down along his stomach to graze along his nipples at each passing, caressing the skin of his sides as he explored. Will’s hips began to rock, the movement so small and needy that it caught Hannibal’s heart. _Oh love. You need this, don’t you. You need me. Don’t worry, I will satisfy every part of you._

“Good, darling. That’s it. Show me what you need.” He pulled on the fabric of Will’s pants, an unspoken question in the lift of his eyebrow. Will nodded and together, they maneuvered the fabric down Wills legs, dropping his pants unceremoniously over the side of the bed before Hannibal’s joined them. Hannibal’s gaze lingered warmly as he took in the sight before him; pale skin over well formed muscles, the slight blush to his chest making Will only more evocative. His cock, flushed pink, the crown already wet with excitement, begged for his tongue. Hannibal knelt between Will’s legs and started to kiss his way up his skin, his hands brushing gently against the intimate skin of his inner thighs as Will began to shake. When he reached the hardened flesh so delectably offered up to him, Hannibal breathed along Will’s skin, the wash of warm air causing Will’s breath to tighten. _He is so wound up. He really does need this._ Gazing up the bed, he met the startling blue of Will’s eyes, his pupils shrinking the ring of color to a thin band as he watched. Holding his eyes, Hannibal licked along the crown of Will’s cock, tasting the sweet and salty flavor of Will’s excitement as he ran his tongue along his length in long, lazy strokes. Will’s hands found their way into Hannibal’s hair, tugging helplessly as Hannibal gathered the hardened flesh in his mouth and began to suck. A high, desperate sound escaped Wills mouth as his head fell back, helpless in the wake of Hannibal’s amorous attention. Hannibal watched, enraptured, as he began to slide his mouth, rubbing his tongue along the depression under the head. He took his time, alternating his strokes as Will panted and within minutes, the ragged breaths that indicated Will was close reached his ears. Hannibal carefully disengaged his mouth, pressing a kiss to Will’s thigh as he reached for the lubricant in his nightstand. Rolling onto his back he beckoned Will to him.

“Sit astride me, Will. That way, you have more control over how much of me you’d like to take, the pace you’d like to set. Does that suit?” Will nodded, trembling as he climbed astride Hannibal’s thighs, leaning against his chest as he slicked his fingers. “Shhh, darling. Relax for me. I’m not going to take you until I know you’re ready. You will have to ask for it, okay? I want you to want me inside you enough to beg me for it.” The slicked fingers of Hannibal’s hand circled Will’s opening, gently and maddingly pressing without entering. The touch was relaxing, arousing in ways Will didn’t know sex could be. That single point of sharp pleasure radiated out to fill his entire being as Hannibal claimed his mouth and breached him with the tip of his finger. He stretched Will’s opening slowly, taking his time to work the lube into his body, slicking him until he was insensible with pleasure, begging and rocking his hips down on the gently seeking digits. Hannibal smiled against his mouth as he pressed the pads of his fingers against Will’s prostate, rubbing gently and drinking in Will’s cries as his vision went white with pleasure.

“Oh god…” Trembling and slick with sweat, Will rocked against the pleasure, hips working as he chased the feeling. Hannibal watched his face, drinking in the parted lips and sweat slicked curls as Will took what he needed. The movement began to take on a rhythm, a need that Hannibal recognized before it could get too far. Grasping Will’s hips, he slid his fingers out gently, waiting for the words he needed to hear as he slicked himself.

“Hannibal…” Will’s eyes were wild as he sought the pleasure that had been offered to him. He licked his lips and leaned down to claim Hannibal’s mouth in a kiss, rocking gently in his lap. His cock was leaking against his stomach and went fully ignored in favor of the pleasure offered by Hannibal’s body. The doctor watched him, hardly daring to stroke himself, lest it be over before it began. _That’s it, my darling._ _Ask me. Beg me to take you. That’s all you need to do._ Will practically sobbed as the words stuck in his throat. 

“Hannibal please…” It was all the encouragement he needed. Hannibal gripped his own hard length and guided Will’s slicked opening to him, the heat and pressure instantly drawing him to the edge. He ran trembling fingers down Will’s sides as he settled, letting his body get used to the full feeling of being stretched to the seams. For long minutes they breathed together, kissing and gently touching before Will experimentally rocked his hips, feeling Hannibal slide inside him. _Oh, oh Christ it’s good._ Hannibal guided his movements as he rocked his hips, taking his pleasure as his head fell back, soft whimpers escaping his lips as he moved. The pressure built like the tide coming in; small pools of liquid heat that grew as they moved together, the feeling ebbing and flowing as Will took Hannibal deeper, rocking down as he watched Hannibal’s mouth fall open in pleasure. Lacing his fingers through the doctor’s, he drew them to the sides of his head, effectively pinning him as he took what he needed. He could feel Hannibal’s body tense, his breathing labored as he watched, his heart filling as Will held him against the bed and rode him. The hands strained against his own as Hannibal’s orgasm raced forward, his eyes flying open to meet Will’s own soft gaze.

“Will, mylimasis, you have to stop or I’m…” Will’s lips claimed his own as he picked up the pace. 

“Don’t hold back. Give it to me, Hannibal. Fill me. Make me… oh god, make me yours.” Hannibal moaned, his hips jerking as his orgasm broke, the sheer joy and relief on his face stilling Will’s heart. He rocked on Hannibal’s cock, riding him through his orgasm as he watched the waves of pleasure wrack his features. As Hannibal began to moan weakly, Will slowed, leaning down to kiss the perfect lips offered to him, burying his face in Hannibal’s throat as he panted, spent. Less than a minute later, Will’s back hit the bed as Hannibal took Will’s cock into his mouth, sliding him into his throat as two fingers took the place of his own cock, the movement eased by his emission. Orgasm was his mission, and he took it seriously as he sucked, rolling his tongue across Will’s head as he cried out, rocking as his orgasm broke, his hands buried in Hannibal’s hair. Panting in bliss, he closed his eyes and wished the moment would never end.

In his post orgasmic bliss, Will didn’t feel Hannibal stand until he jumped from the warm cloth against his skin. Hannibal carefully cleaned him before tossing the rag off into the darkness. He climbed into bed and hauled Will into his arms, kissing his curls as he arranged him against his chest. Will breathed in the smoky autumnal scent that always achingly reminded him of the man next to him, and closed his eyes. He was so tired he could feel himself drifting into sleep, even as Hannibal spoke.

“Was that okay? I didn’t’ hurt you, did I?” Will laughed tiredly.

“No. No, that was exactly what I needed. I just… I guess you had to show me.” Hannibal nodded thoughtfully, his arm tightening protectively as Will buried his face in the doctor’s neck. 

“We both needed the push. Sleep now. You’ll have to be up early if you want to put on actual clothes before work.” Will laughed as he drifted, warm and comfortable in Hannibal’s arms.

“Way ahead of you. I have clothes in the car, just in case you didn’t turn me away. I get them in the morning.” Hannibal smiled and kissed his hair.

“Yes. In the morning. Sweet dreams, Will.” Will smiled against his collarbone.

“Mm. Sweet dreams.” Hannibal breathed in and prayed to anyone that might be listening. _Please. Please let him see no folly in what happened tonight. I don’t know if my heart can take it._


	4. Idle Conversation

_Firstly, let me be the absence in your chest._   
_Secondly, let me be the one who fills it._   
_-Beau Taplin_

* * *

  
Will woke early the next morning, unsure of what had roused him from his slumber. It was still well before dawn; the perfect blackness surrounded him like a comfortable blanket, pulling him back down into sleep. He glanced around, trying to get his bearings before realizing what must have awoken him. Hannibal’s arm was wrapped tightly around his waist, the doctor pressed to his back like a living shell. He radiated a human warmth that both comforted and excited the profiler, his body stirring through the haze of fatigue that still filled his brain. He could feel every muscled inch of Hannibal’s torso pressed against him, the tactile sensation heightened in the near perfect darkness. Gently, he stirred, letting the doctor shift position as he turned in his arms to gaze at the perfect face before him, lips slightly parted as he slept. Will carefully brushed back the straight silver and gold hair from Hannibal’s eyes, relishing in the soft texture as it slid through his fingers. He petted the doctor’s hair, watching as his lips parted further, a quiet, contented sound issuing forth from low in his throat. The sound stirred in Will’s blood, bringing it tinglingly to the surface of his skin. His whole body felt sensitive in his arousal; the sheets sliding against his back as sensual as the caress of Hannibal’s breath against his cheek as he leaned down to kiss the perfect, parted lips. His tongue glided along Hannibal’s upper lip as he felt the arms encircling his body tighten momentarily. _I want more_ , he thought. _I want to taste you_.

Hannibal’s first conscious sound in the darkness was a quiet moan as Will’s lips closed over the tip of his cock, tongue gently exploring the dip beneath his head as his hands held Hannibal’s hips down to prevent the instinctive need to rock. His eyes remained closed as he took what the profiler offered; warm, wet licks that traced his length from root to tip before fingers encircled his prick as Will took him into his mouth. His hand, lips, and tongue moved in perfect harmony, working Hannibal’s sensitive flesh as his shaking fingers found their way into Will’s delightful curls. Will moaned quietly around his mouthful as he let Hannibal’s hips chase his orgasm, giving over control to the rocking that brought the doctor’s thick cock deeper into his throat. Hannibal’s first hitched cry as his orgasm broke seared itself into Will’s memory; it was he who brought these noises from Hannibal’s throat, his name the other man called brokenly as Will drank down the bitter fluid on his tongue. He sucked gently, content to stay as he was as Hannibal emptied himself into his pliant mouth, broken moans filling the quiet night more precious than any music Will had ever heard. As Hannibal quieted, he worked himself back up the doctor’s body, kissing every inch of flesh he could find. Curling back into the arms that opened for him, Will fell back into a contented slumber, the sound of Hannibal’s heartbeat luring him under.

***

Will raced into the auditorium, his face flushed as he stammered apologies to the agents waiting for his lecture, the looks of knowing amusement almost more than he could bear. He had woken a second time to the alarm blaring, only to be dragged into the shower by the only man he’d yet found a way to resist. Hannibal had soaped his body, practically melted his bones as he massaged his scalp with shampoo before encircling his growing erection with his hand, whispering filthy encouragement as Will fucked his fist and begged unabashedly to come. The necessity of walking to his car to retrieve his work clothes in a borrowed bathrobe left him feeling debauched and a little embarrassed as Hannibal handed him coffee and teased him good naturedly about his ‘walk of shame’. Pink cheeked, Will pointed out that he would have to be wearing his clothes from the night before and making his way back to his own house for it to be considered a walk of shame. Their argument had continued as they got ready for their respective days, Hannibal’s eyes sparkling with amusement as Will’s obvious embarrassment. The two men had helped eachother get dressed, and as Will made a mad dash for the front door, he had found himself pinned to the wood as Hannibal attempted to steal the breath from his lungs, both hands buried in his hair. He walked to the car already half hard although he had come less than a half hour before, running later than he ever had in his life.

The class concluded, Will gathered his notes and slunk back to his office, closing the door behind him before slumping into the chair behind his desk. He planned to spend the rest of the day writing up his notes for the next lecture he would be giving, but his head wasn’t currently cooperating. Instead, he found his mind wandering back to the night before, the feel of Hannibal’s mouth on his skin as they shed their clothes. He had never gone to someone in the middle of the night, but Hannibal was in his bones; he needed what they had more than he needed to breathe.

Reaching for his phone, intent on reading the messages from the night before to ease some of the passion he felt coursing through his veins, Will was surprised to find a message from the doctor already waiting for him.

[07:58AM] _Good morning, Will. I wanted to thank you for the pleasant evening you brought both of us by boldly showing up at my door. I also wanted to let you know that you left your clothing at my home, and a mark on my neck. It was kindly pointed out by my first patient. I will have to repay the favor at some point. -HL_

Will stared at the text, a blush rushing furiously to his face as he typed his response with shaking hands.

[08:00AM] **Good morning? I’m pretty sure we ensured that in the shower and against the door, Hannibal. As for who was more embarrassed this morning, I walked into my own lecture late, with 40 men and women staring at me as if I had walked in on their conversation. I think I could have fainted from the blood that rushed to my face. WG**

The read notification showed immediately and Hannibal began to type as Will closed his eyes, trying to cool his face. 

[08:04AM] _I am not embarrassed, per se. I found everything that occurred last night most enjoyable, if unexpected. While I had no qualms in helping you via electronic methods, the delights of your body are altogether far more pleasurable. -HL_

[08:05AM] _I noticed you skipped over the part of this conversation pertaining to your clothing being left in my home. As per our discussion of your “walk of shame” that you deny happened, this is the equivalent of you leaving panties under my bed. Shall we discuss payment for their safe return? -HL_

Will’s face flared back to life as his breath caught, the blood in his veins rushing as he typed back his reply. 

[08:08AM] **And what are you suggesting, Doctor? That I will owe you sexual favors for the safe return of my clothing? WG**

[08:10AM] _Nothing so crude, Will. Should I want sexual favors from you, I believe I need only ask. Am I incorrect in this assessment? Or did my attentions when you came knocking at my door and in the shower this morning not prove to you that I am worth a repeat performance? -HL_

Will swallowed hard, reading the text as he deliberated his next words. There was a good chance someone could walk into his office, especially if Jack chose to discuss his tardiness with him this morning. But the thought of letting Hannibal wind him up when he was helpless to do anything about it was almost as enticing as his fear. 

[08:15AM] **You realize that you made me late this morning, and Jack could walk in at any moment to admonish me for my tardiness, don’t you? WG**

Hannibal began typing as Will held his breath, adjusting himself in the slacks he was wearing, wishing vainly that he had chosen something looser for his attire. _I wanted Hannibal to see me like this_ , he thought, his face flushing. _I wanted him to want me again as I walked out the door this morning. It’s my own fault, and I’ll just have to deal._

[08:19AM] _Ahh, that may be true, but I’d like to point out that you, dear Will, began this game. Don’t think your choice in attire escaped my notice. Your body is delectable, and it was pleasant helping you cover it, even if your choices were made with the intent of teasing me as you left. -HL  
_

Will smirked as he replied, feeling like a teenager in the throes of his first crush. He couldn't bring himself to care.

[08:22AM] **Was my choice successful? And you can’t tell me your suit choice wasn’t deliberate. WG**

Will thought back on the suit Hannibal had chosen that morning, a deep black three piece that he paired with a dark blue shirt and silver tie. While buttoning his vest, it had taken all of Will’s concentration to not pull Hannibal back into the bedroom by his tie and pin him to the bed as he kissed every inch of the bastard’s skin. Instead, a playful gleam in his eye, Hannibal had backed him into the counter and kissed him until their jaws ached. 

The chat bubble immediately appeared as Will reached for the folder containing his notes. He had to make it look like he was doing more than sexting one of the FBI’s therapists on retainer, should someone have the audacity to walk into his office, even if there was not enough of his concentration to focus beyond choosing the folder.

[08:24AM] _It took everything in me to keep from making good on that particular fantasy as I had you pinned to the door this morning. You should be grateful that I am a man of unending restraint, Will. You’d be calling in sick and tied to my bed if I had things my way. -HL_

The thought of being tied to Hannibal’s bed, unable to do anything but take what Hannibal doled out made Will’s blood pulse with need. It was getting more and more difficult to ignore the erection pressing to the front of his slacks. He pressed a flat hand against himself, biting down on his moan at how good the pressure felt. It took him long minutes to get himself under control enough to type out his reply.

08:31AM] **Do you have any idea, any at all, what you are doing to me right now? I have a lecture to write today, and an apology I need to make to Jack. It will be very difficult to sound sincere when I’m already grinning and trying to quell an erection. WG**

[08:34AM] _I would like to point out that technically, I am doing nothing to you. What I would like to be doing to you… that is another matter altogether. Shall I describe it for you? -HL_

Will swallowed hard enough to hear the dry click in his throat. Before Hannibal, he had never experienced a digital means of flirting. It was distracting, intoxicating, searing it’s way into his mind as he tried to recall the reasons he shouldn’t allow Hannibal to continue. It became increasingly difficult as his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted… needed to know what was on the doctor’s mind, even if he had bite his tongue to quell the reaction of his body.

[08:37AM] **Does this mean you have something specific in mind? WG**

His reply was tame; an invitation without blatantly demanding that Hannibal describe in detail what he’d like. As the doctor’s reply came back, Will moaned into the back of his throat, wondering, not for the first time that morning, if he was biting off more than he could chew.

[08:40AM] _If you have to ask the question, you haven’t been paying attention to the rest of our messages. I do have something very specific in mind. It would require locking your door, and ensuring that you could bite down on your moans. I do not believe your coworkers would appreciate hearing you in the throes of passion, but I wouldn’t mind finding out. Shall I describe for you what I want in this moment? Be specific in your answer, darling, or the game ends here. -HL_

Will took a moment to breathe down his excitement, his body aching as he reached for his phone.

[08:44AM] **Yes, please. I want to know what’s on your mind in this very moment. Please. WG**

He sat back, trying to keep his hands from stroking the front of his pants as he waited nervously for Hannibal to reply.

[08:49AM] _Very well. I want to remind you at this time that you chose to know, and I am not responsible for your reactions. If I had the opportunity to be there with you, we would start by locking your office door to ensure our privacy. It wouldn’t do to have anyone walk in on us unannounced, and what I want to do to you will require the utmost privacy. Once the door was locked, stripping you out of those delightfully tight slacks would be my first order of business. Are you currently hard, Will? Wanting to know, I am going to assume the answer is yes, but I’d like you to tell me. -HL_

[08:51AM] **Yes, I’m hard. I was halfway there from the very first text and it’s only gotten more distracting since then. WG  
**

[08:55AM] _Mm. Much the same could be said for my current state. I’d like to alleviate the pressure those pants must be causing… the pleasurable ache as your cock fills, begging for relief. I am sure the zipper would be quite loud in the hush of your office and only serve to excite you further. Standing behind you, I think, so you can feel the press of my own erection against your ass as I loosen your slacks and help you step from them. Boxers as well. You won’t be needing them anytime soon. -HL_

The text raised a flush to the back of Will’s neck as he watched for the next chat to come in. It had become impossible to avoid the gentle glide of his fingers across his swollen flesh, where he pressed against the front of the pants Hannibal was describing removing. Panting at the sensation, he once again cursed his own choices as the next text rolled into view.

[08:59AM] O _nce the first obstacle is out of the way, I would relish in the feel of your bare skin pressing into my slacks as I rub my erection back and forth across your ass. My hands would also be busy, pulling the knot in your tie so I could remove it, slipping the silk from your neck as I start to unbutton that wonderful shirt you chose to wear today. I do love seeing you in cool colors, Will. They bring out the beautiful hue of your eyes. -HL_

Will closed his eyes, lost in the fantasy of clever fingers deftly unbuttoning the pale grey shirt from behind, exposing his chest to the cool air of his office. As if in response to the phantom touches, his nipples tightened beneath his shirt, begging for attention as he whimpered.

[09:02AM] **Jesus, Hannibal. You’re killing me. WG**

The text that came through made him laugh, even as his body tightened in excitement.

[09:04AM] _I have not yet gotten started, Will. Shall I continue, or should be relegate this conversation to the nighttime hours we so often share? -HL_

 _He’s giving me an out._ Will smirked as he typed out his reply. _  
_

[09:05AM] **Not a chance, Doctor. Please, continue. WG**

[09:08AM] _Very well. I do love it when you’re bold like you are now. It does things to me I can’t yet name. I don’t want to remove your shirt, I only want access to an unbroken line of skin from your neck to your feet. I want to feel every inch of your body as I wind you up before I take what I want. I begin with your neck, the skin pale and soft beneath my lips as I kiss you. My hands, never idle, would stroke a gentle pattern along your stomach and up your chest, pausing at your hardened nipples to stroke them into delectable peaks. I want to feel your breath hitch as your body strains against the pleasure I offer you. I want to hear you try and contain your moans as I touch you. Do you think you’d be able to keep quiet? -HL_

[09:10AM] **I can barely keep quiet now, damn you. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop. WG**

[09:13AM] _Does it upset you greatly, knowing that I am pleased by your struggles to keep quiet? Are you touching yourself now, Will? Are you ghosting your hands along your skin as I want to? -HL_

Will let a sharp breath escape from between his teeth as he palmed himself. He wanted to loosen his pants, but didn’t want the embarrassment if someone was to walk in. Instead, he rubbed against his hand, trying desperately to remember why he agreed to this torture as he replied.

[09:15AM] **I haven’t loosened any of my clothing, but let’s just say it’s becoming increasingly difficult to remember why I shouldn’t. WG**

[09:18AM] _You are more a delight than I could have hoped for. By all means, enjoy your own skin, Will. It would be easy enough to push your chair forward should someone enter your office. Find some relief in my words. -HL  
_

Will considered the doctor’s advice, his pulse racing. Before he could question what he was doing, he eased the button of the cursed black slacks open, pulling the zipper down as quietly as he could and trying not to moan at the relief it brought. He ghosted his fingers along his cloth covered erection, shuddering at the sensation.

[09:20AM] **I can’t believe I let you talk me into this, Hannibal. Please, continue your torture. WG**

[09:22AM] _It pleases me greatly that you are willing to give in to what your body so desperately needs. I shall not disappoint. Please, follow along with my movements when you can. I’d very much like to stroke you, let my fingers play along your cock as I help myself to the delicate skin of your neck. You won’t be leaving my presence again without a small token of my affections, a match to the one you so kindly left me this morning. I want to feel your legs shake as I work your swollen flesh in my hand as I take what I want from you. Slowly, from root to tip, gathering the moisture from your glans so I can ease my movements. Would you like that? To feel pleasure at two distinct locations? -HL_

[09:25AM] **God yes. More. Please. WG**

[09:28AM] _Once I know you can take no more of my teasing, when I have you so sensitive that the ghosting of my breath would bring you… this is when I would bend you over, Will. Pin you to your own desk before winding your tie between your hands, tying them together as an anchor for me to hold while I take you. I want you to feel what it is to be completely under my control, only able to move when I allow it, only allowed to spend because I will it. -HL_

Will’s body convulsed, tightening at the very idea of Hannibal taking away his control. He shuddered, trying to reply without dropping his phone, his cock pulsing in response to his imaginings.

[09:31AM] **Yes. I want that. Show me. WG**

[09:36AM] _With pleasure. Tying your hands with your tie would take you by surprise, I’m sure, as would how much you want it. Giving up control appeals to you in ways you didn’t think it would, and I am more than willing to supply. You are endlessly safe in my hands, Will, and you know this. Pinning you to your desk, you’d be able to feel the wood pressed into your heated skin, but there wouldn’t be enough friction to bring you any relief. Instead, I would fold myself to my knees and push your legs farther apart. I want access to your opening. I want to taste you there, feel you open to my tongue before I ease you with my fingers and lubricant. I want to see if you can keep quiet while I work you with my mouth. -HL_ **  
**

Will palmed himself gently, worried now that he would orgasm before the rest of Hannibal’s fantasy played out. He wanted everything the other man offered, and more. He wanted him so badly, his entire body drew tight as a bowstring as he tried to clear his head enough to think beyond his heady arousal at the details the other man offered up to his starving imagination. He drank down the words, begging himself to relax.

[09:40AM] **God. God, please. I need more, Hannibal please I’m begging you. More. WG**

[09:43AM] _More is coming, darling, but not before I will it. I want you open and ready for me, your body so willing to take me in that I can hear the whimpers in your throat as you try to bite them down. I want to hear every breath you take, I want to feel you shake as I bring you close. I want every drop of your pleasure as you try not to want me to take you. I want you to plead with me in whispers as I work you open. -HL_ **  
**

[09:45AM] **I’m so fucking close to begging you to come take me now, I can only guess how bad I would want it if you were really here. For the love of god, please. I need it. WG**

[09:51AM] _Only when you are desperate. Only when I can feel that you need it. I will give it to you. Standing, letting you feel it against your skin as I free my cock for you. Hearing you whimper for me as I rub myself against your slick skin, so open and ready for me. Can you feel the press? The stretch as I take you? I’d take it slow, let you feel every inch as I take possession of your body. I want to feel you shake beneath me, because slow would not last, darling. I want you too badly for slow. Instead, only the first few thrusts into your tight heat, just to ensure you were ready for more. -HL_

[09:54AM] **godgodgod WG**

[09:58AM] _God cannot help you when you are pinned beneath me with my hands holding onto your tied wrists. The pace I want to set for you is brutal, fast and hard as you try to stifle your cries, only able to lay and take for me, take my cock as I pound into you, let you feel me as I claim you, over and over. I love how you react to me, Will. I love how it feels to be inside you. This angle, with you beneath me, makes it easy to find your prostate, and I can promise you, I would strike it as often as possible, just to hear you try and control your breathing as I fuck you. -HL_

Will’s cock convulsed as he released it from his boxers, no longer able to pretend he had any control over his own body, or the situation in which he found himself. Instead, he gave himself over to Hannibal’s fantasy, feeling it as the doctor took him, fucked him across his own desk, claimed him as he tried to bite back his cries. His own fingers felt heavenly as he stroked, breathless in his excitement.

[09:57AM] **Please Hannibal. Make me come, please let me come WG**

[10:02AM] _Yes, darling. I want to feel you around me. I want to feel you lose control. Come for me, and let me feel you as I fill you. I can’t hold back another moment. I want to pin you down with a hand between your shoulder blades and listen to you gasp out your passion as you spill against your desk. Come for me this instant. -HL_

Will bit back his moan as he spilled across his hand, scrabbling in his drawer for the roll of paper towels he kept to clean up after lunch. His entire body tingled as he stroked, letting the waves of relief crash into him, whiting out his vision as he fought back the noises he wanted to make. It took long moments for the unbearably pleasurable pressure to ease, and Will slumped back in his chair, sweating and utterly spent as he did his best to clean himself of his own sticky emission. Panting, he reached for his phone, hoping Hannibal had an equally intense experience.

[10:12AM] **I cannot believe I allowed you to text me into orgasm while I am at work. I hope you’re pleased with yourself. WG**

[10:14AM] _I did try to warn you. Considering I had to… tend to my own needs during this session and keep a patient waiting while I did so, I’d say we are equally pleased. -HL_

Will grinned down at his phone as he tossed the paper towel into the trash, picturing a debauched Hannibal straightening his hair as he reassembled his control so he could meet with his patient.

[10:16AM] **You’ll have to let me know what excuse you give when you admit your patient into your office. It will smell of sex, you know. WG**

[10:19AM] _Be that as it may, my office is far larger than the coat closet you use, so you will have more to explain than I when Jack comes calling. I will simply tell Franklin that I was on an unavoidable call and hope that he doesn’t take the calm satisfaction that must be chiseled into my features as a reaction to his company. -HL_

[10:22AM] **Maybe we will have to do something to discourage him from having such thoughts, then. WG**

As soon as Will pressed send, he wished he could take it back. Regardless of how he felt, he didn’t need to sound like he was jealous. _I don’t want anybody thinking your mood is a result of their presence, though._

[10:24AM] _Don’t worry, I shall discourage him as I always do. I am open to suggestions, though. Shall we discuss them tonight? My house for dinner, say 7PM? -HL_

Will grinned happily as he typed, the knot in his stomach loosening slightly.

[10:26AM] **That can be arranged. Do you need me to bring anything? WG**

[10:29AM] _Just a set of clothes for tomorrow. Preferably without leaving them in your car this time. We don’t need the neighbors to talk. -HL_

Will’s grin widened as he read the message. Standing to head to the restroom so he could wash his hands, he typed out his reply while trying to open his office door, almost running into Jack on his way out.

“Hello, Will,” Jack said, his voice somber. “Care to explain why you were late this morning?” Will grinned, pressing send before pocketing his cell, keeping his hands strategically in his pockets.

“I overslept. Sorry, Jack,” he said amiably. “I’ll double check my alarm tonight.” Jack nodded and continued down the hall shouting in the general direction of a row of cubicles as everyone ran for cover. Smirking, Will pulled his phone back out.

[10:31AM] **That was your doing, you know. I wasn’t sure if you’d accept me as a guest in your house once I got there. WG**

[10:35AM] **Just ran into Jack. He wasn’t as mad as I expected. Guessing he’s on the warpath. Now, leave me alone and tend to your client. I have work to do. See you at 7? WG**

The ping went off as he dried his hands, his stomach doing a happy flip as he walked slowly back to his office as he read.

[10:41AM] _We rescheduled for tomorrow, thanks to your insatiable appetites. Do try to keep from finding other distractions throughout your day, unless you’d like to think of how you plan to get your clothes back. I’ll see you this evening. Don’t be late. -HL_

Will tossed his phone in his desk drawer and pulled his notes towards him, hoping to make some progress before his nervous excitement could overtake him. _Tonight, indeed. I can’t wait._


	5. Proximity

_Love is friendship caught fire._   
_-Ann Landers_

* * *

**Six Weeks Later**

  
Will knocked loudly on the front door of Hannibal's house before letting himself in. _Home, at last._ _Even if it’s not really my home… it still feels like it._ The key clutched in his fist was an indication of just how much things changed; it had been presented to him without fanfare only three days prior, so recently that it still made him uncomfortable to use it without knocking. Hannibal had left it for him one morning when he had an early client, slipped onto his keyring with a text message accompanying it.

[06:39AM] _Hello, darling. I know you’re likely still asleep, but I had an early client this morning. I took the liberty of having a key made for you. It’s already attached to your keyring. Please lock up when you leave. I will see you this evening. Have a wonderful day. -HL_

Will had spent the entire day staring at the key that nestled next to the others on his keyring, happy butterflies dancing in his stomach, waiting for the day to end so he could show Hannibal just how much the gesture had meant to him. Most early hours that Will would have spent thinking of the handsome doctor, stroking himself while attempting to refrain from texting him, thus making a fool of himself, were now spent wrapped in his arms, exhausted from their frequent and passionate lovemaking. Any night he wished it, Will no longer had to spend relegated to his own bed, and he spent so many nights and weekends with Hannibal that he had begun searching for more permanent homes for his pack. He couldn’t be guaranteed to be there for them as often as they had gotten used to, but he wanted to make sure the home he sent them to was vetted before they were reluctantly relinquished into the hands of others. A few of his more independent dogs were fine staying in his home, the newly installed doggy door allowing them to come and go as they pleased in the hours he wasn’t home.

Closing the front door behind him, Will removed his shoes, deeply inhaling the scent of garlic and white wine wafting from the kitchen. French food. Romantic. Perfect. After depositing his jacket and briefcase onto the hook Hannibal had cleared for him to hang his belongings, Will made his way through the main room, a small, unconscious smile playing on his lips. Rounding the corner, the sight that awaited him stilled his heart, his breath catching as he took in the sight of the man busy at the stove. Hannibal was dressed far more casually than his usual work attire, decked out in comfortable dark jeans and Will’s favorite red sweater, the sleeves pushed up his elbows to keep them out of his way as he worked. The customary white ties of his apron hung around his hips, his feet were bare, and the sight was so affecting that Will had to stop moving for a few minutes just to take it all in. _That man wants me here in his home. I have a key to get in, whenever I see fit._ Will’s heart filled to bursting at the thought. Never in his life had he felt more completely at ease with another person, in a place where he truly belonged. _This is big. So big, I can hardly contain it._

“Do you plan to simply observe me all evening, or would you like to give a hand in finishing out meal?” Hannibal’s amused voice drifted towards him, easing through his jumbled thoughts. Will smiled, closing the distance between them within seconds. Wrapping his hands around Hannibal’s stomach, he rested his head on the doctor’s shoulder, peering into the pan he was working with. Hannibal stilled beneath the profiler’s touch, his breath cut short at the unexpected intimacy.

“You look like you’re doing fine on your own,” Will murmured, his hands finding their way beneath the hem of the delectable red sweater. The warm skin that met his fingertips was far better than any piece of clothing could be; soft and unendingly pleasing to stroke. Will listened, delighted, as Hannibal’s breath stilled, the muscles beneath his hands tensing. _Christ I want you_. The profiler tilted his head, planting a kiss along the column of Hannibal’s neck, his lips stilling against his jumping pulse. The doctor’s breath released from his throat in a tight moan, the sound going straight to Will’s cock, making him throb, his blood pulsing hotly in his veins. Reaching in front of them, he turned the burners to the stove off before turning Hannibal in his arms, moving them so he could press the other man to the counter. Their kiss was not a gentle greeting, but a hungry flash of tongues as Will worked the ties of the apron loose, letting the material flutter to the ground between them. Hannibal wound his fingers through Will’s curls, urging him closer as he deepened their kiss, sealing their lips as they explored eachother’s mouths. The press of the thick erection nuzzling against his own was almost too much for Will to bear, as worked up as he already was. _I need you. I need to taste you._

“I love this sweater,” Will murmured as he folded himself to his knees on the tiles. Glancing up into the warm maroon gaze staring back at him as if he were everything, he worked Hannibal’s belt loose, running his nose along the warm skin of the doctor’s stomach as he pulled his jeans open, using his teeth on the zipper as Hannibal’s head fell back, another tight, needy moan escaping his throat. Will nosed at the warm bulge beneath the doctor’s boxers, hips lips gently sucking the material into his mouth, tasting the salty emission his excitement had already left there. A sharp intake of his breath was the profiler’s only warning as Hannibal’s hands descended into his hair, tugging none too lightly.

“Are you only going to tease me tonight, darling?” Hannibal asked, his voice low in his throat, roughened with arousal. _God I can’t resist you when you sound like that._ His finger traced Will’s parted lips as the profiler’s hands pushed Hannibal’s jeans and boxers down, exposing his thickened cock to his mouth. Will held Hannibal’s eyes as he kissed the crown, his tongue flashing to collect the moisture that had gathered during their kisses. Hannibal’s eyes fell closed as he braced his hands back against the counter, relinquishing his control to the man on his knees before him. Will licked his lips before sinking them around the hard length offered to him, relishing the taste of the other man’s skin on his tongue. There was no feeling that quite equaled having his lover submit control to him, tremble as he worked his body for his pleasure. Will’s eyes fluttered closed as the profiler took up a gentle rhythm, his hands stroking the doctor’s thigh, eventually gathering around Hannibal’s balls as he began to suck. He laved gently at the dip beneath the head, tracing it with the tip of his tongue as he felt Hannibal’s hands find their way back into his hair, tightening in his curls as Hannibal’s hips began to take on the rhythm of the profiler’s mouth, rocking deeper in. Will took him into his softened throat, gently rolled the doctor’s balls in his hand as he took him, the obscene, wet sounds of his mouth accompanying Hannibal’s tight moans, creating the perfect symphony of pleasure. It didn’t take long for the other man’s breath to shorten, the hands in his hair to tighten almost painfully as his legs began to shake. Will drew back, relinquishing Hannibal’s cock gently as he kissed the doctor’s thighs, letting him cool momentarily before helping him step from his clothing. Standing, he turned and made his way to the bedroom. He didn’t look back; he knew Hannibal would be right at his heels, eager to continue where they left off.

Warm hands closed in on his shoulders pulling him back against a warm, solid chest. Hannibal’s lips closed over his ear, nipping gently, his hands tugging the edge of the sweater Will was wearing up and over his head. The doctor made quick work of his slacks, kissing his neck as he loosened the material, sliding it over the profiler’s hips before reaching to cup his groin. Will whimpered, turning in the doctor’s arms to capture his mouth as they moved back towards the bed. For all their need, they never rushed their actual lovemaking, instead taking the time to explore and enjoy as if it was their first time. Will never got tired of feeling the warm glide of Hannibal’s hands along his skin, nor the taste of the doctor’s mouth as they kissed. It took long minutes for them to relinquish enough of one another for Hannibal to find the lubricant they had left out that morning, coating his fingers as Will panted beneath him. The first slick press proved him to be open and ready, still wet from the exhaustive sex they had engaged in before they left for work that morning. Hannibal smiled against his lover’s lips and filled him quickly, two fingers pressing gently to rub against the sensitive bundle of nerves he could find with ease. He watched with adoring eyes as Will’s body arched beneath him, the moan torn from his throat high and breathy as he circled the sensitive spot, working Will’s body open. 

As he slowly removed his fingers to add a third, Will rolled them gently, landing on top of the other man’s body. Straddling his hips, he braced himself with one hand, seeking the hard cock beneath him. Lining them up, he rocked his hips downward, slowly taking Hannibal into him, leaning down to kiss the parted lips offered up in pleasure. Hannibal’s hands found his hips as he worked the thick length into himself, the stretch burning only a little as he seated himself fully. They breathed together in the quiet, giving Will the minutes he needed to adjust to the fullness within before he began to stir, small circles to test his readiness. He moaned his enjoyment as the thickness of Hannibal’s length slid deeper, filling him to bursting. They set a gentle, slow rhythm, Will’s movements guided by the tug of Hannibal’s hands as they rocked together. Each slick push brought Will’s orgasm closer, but it was still some time off, far on the horizon of their pleasure. Hannibal’s hands trembled as they rocked, his body already sensitive from Will’s attentions in the kitchen. Will slowed, holding the thick cock in his body as they cooled, their tongues gently flashing as they kissed and whispered to one another, Hannibal’s hands stroking the warm skin of his back. 

When they began again, Hannibal had cooled sufficiently for their orgasms to build together, their breath tightening at nearly the same pace as Will bracketed Hannibal’s hips with his knees. Leaning down, he pulled on the hands on his hips until their fingers laced together. Without warning, Will pinned the doctor’s hands up and back, holding him down as he picked up the pace. Keeping Hannibal pinned, he tightened around the length buried inside him and fucked him, his hips pistoning as he worked himself along Hannibal’s prick. The surprised moan it brought to the other man’s lips seared itself in Will’s mind as he worked, watching as Hannibal’s orgasm tightened his features, tearing a moan from his throat. _That’s right, love. Give it to me. Give me your pleasure._

Hannibal’s eyes flew open as his orgasm took him, pushing him over the precipice and into that pure, white, clean feeling their climaxes brought them. Will rode him through it, feeling as the doctor filled him, their movements suddenly slick with Hannibal’s emission. Lowering his face, he kissed the beautiful, parted lips as he slowed his movements, keeping Hannibal’s wrists pinned to the bed as the last of his tremors chased across his skin. Shivering beneath him, Hannibal met his eyes, a surprised grin gracing his handsome features.

“Had I known you were that desperate to be filled, I would have waited on starting dinner,” he whispered. Will laughed, gently disengaging himself from the softening length still inside him. Hannibal breathed deep, closing his eyes briefly as he stretched. Will kissed his forehead, rolling from the bed and making his way towards the shower.

“I always want you, Hannibal. I’m never going to be able to help that,” he said over his shoulder. “Plus,” he said, turning to meet the other man’s gaze, “you wore that shirt on purpose. You know the effect it has on me, so you did this to yourself.” From the gleam in the other man’s eyes, Will knew he was correct. Turning, he flipped on the light in the bathroom long enough to light the candles they kept there and start the water. By the time Hannibal summoned the energy to join him, Will was already rinsing shampoo from his hair. Hannibal dispensed enough soap in his hands to form a slick, warm sleeve around the profiler’s cock, stroking him roughly from root to tip while Will moaned, overcome with the sensation after he denied himself an orgasm during their lovemaking. Hannibal pulled the other man against his chest, running his other hand along the other man’s skin as he worked his erection. When Will’s legs began to shake, he slowed, stroking just the head as he held Will against him, letting him rock his hips to chase his pleasure. The pressure was too good, too fucking good. Will felt his orgasm crash through his body, blowing him to pieces as the waves of feeling crested through him. _That’s it, my love. My darling. Give in to me. Give me your all, like I want to give to you._ Hannibal whispered to him quietly in Lithuanian as he worked his body, holding him as the waves of feeling made his knees go weak. Will had never felt so cherished during sex, and although they had yet to say the words, he knew Hannibal felt as much as he did the love that was building between them. Exhausted, completely wrung out, the profiler was grateful when Hannibal pulled him against his body and reached for the conditioner, giving him time to compose himself from the rush of emotions he was experiencing. Closing his eyes to the gentle pleasure Hannibal offered, Will had a feeling he knew exactly what it was he was feeling.

***

“I know it’s not as good as whatever you were planning,” Will said, his mouth filled with crab Rangoon, “but for late night food after expelling so much energy, you have to admit that Chinese isn’t too terrible of an idea.” Hannibal smiled, taking another bite of the fried rice on his plate. He was reluctant to admit it, but Will was right; somehow the food they were consuming satisfied some part of him that he hadn’t been aware of previously, nourishing more than his stomach. _The aftermath of good sex with a familiar partner, coupled with something I’d normally consider on the list of ill advised nourishment_ he thought, amused. A _nother wonderful thing that Will has brought into my life._ Glancing at the man in question, who was consuming another forkful of orange chicken, his heart squeezed in his chest as a flash of fondness, and something deeper moved through his senses. _He must know. Must feel as I do._

While I may not admit that you are correct, I will admit that tonight, I am more than happy that we enjoyed more amorous activities than making dinner,” he replied as he stole a piece of Will’s chicken. Warm, amused eyes met his own as the pilfered morsel made its way into his mouth. Hannibal closed his eyes in appreciation as the sweet flavor burst across his tongue.

“Thievery is punishable in all fifty states, Hannibal,” Will said, laughter plain in his voice. Hannibal simply smiled and took another piece, chewing happily as Will tried to look annoyed, the grin he wore ruining the effect entirely.

“Perhaps, but when the reward is so delectable, how could anyone blame me?” Will lowered his head smiling; he got the distinct feeling the doctor wasn’t talking about the food. 

“I can’t imagine that anyone would blame you, but it’s not exactly like you were stealing me from anyone,” he murmured, eyes on his plate. Hannibal reached out to touch his hand, distracting him from his meal as their fingers tangled.

“Perhaps not, but I’d very much like it to be known that I am staking my claim,” he replied, holding Will’s gaze as his eyes widened, his food entirely forgotten in the wake of the confession. Hannibal took another bite, holding his eyes before he continued. 

“We have been dancing around an official title for some time now, and if we are going to continue on our current trajectory, I believe now is the time to make my intentions towards you clear.” Will swallowed hard, his eyes huge in the low light of the bedroom. Hannibal took his hands, moving their food out of the way so he could pull Will into his arms. Kissing the profiler’s forehead, he continued.

“I’m very fond of you, Will. More than I have ever been of anyone, with the single exception being my sister,” he said, his eyes warm as he stroked his fingers against Will’s pulse. _Please. Please understand what I'm trying to articulate._ “I don’t believe I could call anything I felt for anyone else close to loving another person, but with you… I can easily say I feel that. I always want to be with you, even when it isn’t possible. I always want you here when we can spend time together. I would give you anything in my power to give to ensure you’re happy. If that isn’t love… I may not know what the emotion is.” Hannibal held his breath, waiting for Will’s response. _Please don’t let me have miscalculated._

“You…” Will’s voice stuck in his throat, the words catching as he processed what he was being told. Hannibal stroked a hand through his curls, kissing the side of his face.

“Yes. And I want you to be mine. Is… is that okay?” Will nodded, his face opening into a brilliant smile, so happy, it took Hannibal’s breath from his lungs. _Dear god, please always look at me like that._ They kissed gently as Hannibal pulled their plates closer, wanting to ensure Will finished eating.

“Shall we celebrate tomorrow? I would be happy to book a table. Or,” he said, a wicked grin on his face, “I can try and recreate the meal I was planning for tonight. It would be fitting enough.” Will blushed, nodding.

“That sounds perfect. Rather be dressed up here while we eat your food than anywhere else where I’ll have to share your attention,” he replied. “Plus, I can have as much wine as I want, and I get to take you to bed right after.” Hannibal laughed, picking up his fork.

“Both of those can be arranged, darling.”

***

“Hannibal? You still awake?” Hannibal stirred, raising his head towards the voice emitting from the other side of the bed.

“Mm. I’m awake,” he replied, pulling Will closer. “Are you all right?” He felt Will’s nod, the silence stretching between them as Hannibal waited for his response.

“Did you- I mean-” Will’s breath shook as he inhaled, trying to find the courage to blurt out his question. “Did you mean it?” The words came out small, tight, as if he had been holding onto them for hours. Hannibal’s heart squeezed in his chest. _Have you been laying awake, wondering? Not wanting to wake me?_

“Yes, darling,” he whispered, kissing Will’s shoulder as the profiler let out a shaking breath. “Of course I meant it, and you never have to doubt it. I love you. I love you very much.” He felt the tension Will had been holding release, his body molding back against Hannibal’s chest. There you are, my love. Sleep for me.

“I love you too,” Will whispered, the words pounding through Hannibal’s heart. He kissed the side of Will’s face, breathing in the clean scent of his skin as they drifted back towards sleep. 

A few minutes later, Will broke the silence once more.

“Hannibal?” The doctor smiled, running a hand through Will’s curls.

“Yes, my love?” 

“You get to tell Jack.” Hannibal laughed, pulling the other man into a soft, sleepy kiss. They broke apart, grinning at eachother in the dark. Hannibal kissed Will’s forehead, happy to the core.

“Whatever you want, darling. Whatever you want.”

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we come to the end of this journey that I honestly meant to be a single chapter. I hope you all had as much fun reading it as I had writing it. I will be creating many more stories to take this one's place, so don't worry too much.
> 
> To all of the wonderful people who have been following along, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Your kudos, comments, and genuine enthusiasm for the stories I produce are the exact reason why I started writing. I have enjoyed this little journey with you all, and I can't wait for more.
> 
> Hearts and Body Parts,  
> JM 🤍


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